Two Labour-run councils 'considering all options' to challenge migrant hotel use

Two Labour-run councils have said they are considering taking legal action to stop the use of hotels to house migrants in their areas after Epping council won a temporary injunction on Tuesday.

The leaders of Wirral and Tamworth councils both say they are considering their legal options in the wake of the Epping case, citing similar concerns about the impact of the hotels on their local communities. Epping Forest District Council won an interim High Court injunction to stop migrants from being accommodated at The Bell Hotel, after arguing its owners did not have planning permission to use it to house migrants.

Politics latest: Judge in Epping hotel case was Tory candidate four times In a statement, Paula Basnett, the Labour leader of Wirral council, said: "Like many other local authorities, we have concerns about the Home Office's practice of placing asylum seekers in hotels without consultation or regard to local planning requirements. "We are actively considering all options available to us to ensure that any use of hotels or other premises in Wirral is lawful and does not ride roughshod over planning regulations or the wishes of our communities.

"Wirral has always been proud of its record in supporting families and those fleeing conflict, but it is unacceptable for the government to impose unsuitable, short-term arrangements that disrupt communities and bypass local decision-making. "If necessary, we will not hesitate to challenge such decisions in order to protect both residents and those seeking refuge." Carol Dean, the Labour leader of Tamworth Borough Council, said she understands the "strong feelings" of residents about the use of a local hotel to house asylum seekers, and that the council is "listening to their concerns and taking them seriously".

She pointed out that under the national Labour government, the use of hotels has halved from 402 to 210, with the aim of stopping the use of any hotels by the end of this parliament. But she continued: "Following the temporary High Court injunction granted to Epping Forest District Council, we are closely monitoring developments and reviewing our legal position in light of this significant ruling." Cllr Dean added that they had previously explored their legal options to challenge the use of the hotel but decided against them, as temporary injunctions were not being upheld.

However, the Epping ruling "represents a potentially important legal precedent.