Asylum seekers can stay at protest-hit Epping hotel after council fails in High Court legal bid
Epping hotel can continue to accommodate asylum seekers, high court rules
- Asylum seekers are permitted to remain at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, following a High Court ruling.
- Mr Justice Mould denied Epping Forest District Council's request for an injunction to block migrants from being housed there.
- The council had initiated legal action against Somani Hotels, alleging breaches of planning regulations after the hotel became a site of protests.
- The judge determined that using the hotel for asylum seekers was not a significant breach of planning control and that safety concerns were a matter for the police.
- The Home Office intervened, arguing that the loss of accommodation would be substantial given the high demand for asylum housing.