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Council asks High Court to stop hotel housing migrants
An Essex council has asked the High Court to stop the owners of a hotel housing migrants, following weeks of protests. Epping Forest District Council applied on Tuesday for an interim High Court injunction to prevent the Bell Hotel being used to accommodate asylum seekers.
The council is requesting that the ban take effect 14 days after the injunction is approved. It is citing "the clear risk of further escalating community tensions" and calls for the present situation "to be brought under control" urgently.
The council is also requesting a declaration that using the Bell Hotel to house asylum seekers is not the same as using it as a regular hotel, and therefore is not permitted under planning rules. "The current situation cannot go on.
If the Bell Hotel was a nightclub we could have closed it down long ago," said Cllr Chris Whitbread, leader of Epping Forest District Council. "So far as the council is aware, there is no criminal record checking of individuals who might only have been in the country a matter of days before being housed at the hotel." Cllr Whitbread pointed out there are five schools and a residential care home within the vicinity of the hotel, and that the use by the Home Office of the premises for asylum seekers could further escalate community tensions that are "already at a high.
Amir Nisi
Creative and experienced content writer with 6+ years of experience lazy to create unique content strategy for News5 to turn website visitors into customers.
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