A council has won its bid to block asylum seekers being housed at a migrant hotel after a series of protests with those staying at the accommodation to be removed in the next few weeks.
Epping Forest District Council had asked a High Court judge to issue an interim injunction to stop migrants from being housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.
The successful injunction means the hotel’s owner, Somani Hotels Limited, has to stop housing asylum seekers there within 14 days.
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The hotel has been at the centre of a series of protests in recent weeks after an asylum seeker, staying at the accommodation, was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
Mr Justice Eyre granted the temporary injunction in a ruling on Tuesday.
However, he extended the time limit for when the hotel must stop housing the asylum seekers to September 12.
Several protests and counter-protests have been held in Essex since Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu allegedly tried to kiss a teenage girl.
He has denied the charges against him and is due to stand trial later this month.
Mr Justice Eyre granted a temporary injunction and extended when the hotel must stop housing the asylum seekers
| PAAnother man who resided at the same hotel, Syrian national Mohammed Sharwarq has separately been charged with seven offences while several other men have been charged over disorder outside the hotel.
Last week, the council said it was seeking an injunction due to “unprecedented levels of protest and disruption” in connection with asylum seeker accommodation.
The leader of the council Chris Whitbread said the situation “cannot go on” but the Government “is not listening”.
Barristers for the council said in a hearing on Friday that the site’s “sole lawful use” was as a hotel and that Somani Hotels were breaching planning rules by using it to house asylum seekers.
The council said it was seeking an injunction due to 'unprecedented levels of protest and disruption'
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Representing the council, Philip Coppel KC said the situation was “wholly unacceptable” and provided a “feeding ground for unrest”.
He said there had been, “what can be described as an increase in community tension, the catalyst of which has been the use of the Bell Hotel to place asylum seekers”.
Mr Coppel continued: “It is not the asylum seekers who are acting unlawfully. It is the defendant, by allowing the hotel to be used to house asylum seekers.”
He added that it: “Really could not be much worse than this.”
Somani Hotels representative Piers Riley-Smith said that “disagreement with Government policy” did not justify a “draconian” injunction and that there would be “hardship” caused to the company and those housed at the hotel.
He also added that contracts to house asylum seekers were a “financial lifeline” for the hotel.
Mr Riley-Smith added that it was only one per cent full in August 2022, when it was open to paying customers.
“It is clear that recent protests have expanded far beyond the local community and have gone into concerns about wider ideological and political issues from those outside the community,” he said.
“Those particular ideological, non-community concerns are not relevant to planning.”
Epping Council leader Chris Whitbread speaking to GB News
| GB NEWSMr Whitbread said after the ruling that he was "delighted".
"This is great news for our residents," he added.
"The last few weeks have placed an intolerable strain on our community but today we have some great news.”
Mr Whitbread said the Home Office policy ignored "the issues and concerns of local residents that the council represents".
“Today we have made a step towards redressing the imbalance and showing that local people do have some say, whatever the Home Office thinks," he said.