The Epping Forest District Council has applied for a High Court injunction to block the housing of asylum seekers at the Bell Hotel, following weeks of unrest and violent protests in the town.
Council leader Chris Whitbread, a Conservative, said on Tuesday the move was necessary due to “the clear risk of further escalating community tensions” after a series of demonstrations sparked by the July arrest of an asylum seeker accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, an allegation he denies.
Since mid-July, police have recorded at least six protests outside the hotel, with 28 arrests and 16 charges related to disorder. Some demonstrations turned violent, with officers and police vehicles targeted. Anti-immigration protests have also spread to London and other parts of England.
Whitbread argued that the Bell Hotel’s current use breaches planning permissions, given its proximity to schools and a care home, and claimed there was no evidence of criminal record checks being carried out on those housed there. “If the Bell Hotel was a nightclub, we could have closed it down long ago,” he said, accusing the government of “not listening” to local concerns.
The council’s application also claims the Home Office’s use of the property poses “a clear risk of irreparable harm” to the community.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to cut migrant and asylum seeker numbers to counter pressure from the hard-right Reform UK party, but Whitbread said Epping had been left with “no choice” but to pursue legal action.
Written By Rodney Mbua
