Essex Court Ruling Sparks Council Action on Asylum Hotels

Councils across England are weighing legal action to block the use of hotels in their areas to house asylum seekers, following a landmark High Court decision in Essex.

Earlier this month, Epping Forest District Council secured a temporary injunction preventing asylum seekers from being accommodated at the Bell Hotel. The ruling has prompted other local authorities, including 12 councils led by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said councils would “do everything in their power to follow Epping’s lead.”

The Conservative-run Borough of Broxbourne in Hertfordshire has confirmed it is urgently seeking legal advice over a hotel in Cheshunt. South Norfolk District Council, also Conservative-controlled, said it would not pursue court action but was enforcing planning regulations to ensure families, rather than single men, were placed in local accommodation.

The decision in Epping followed community protests after an asylum seeker, Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, was charged with the sexual assault of a teenager. He denies the allegations. Several others were also charged with disorderly behaviour outside the hotel. Demonstrations saw both opposition to and support for the asylum seekers.

The injunction was granted despite efforts from the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, who had sought to have the case dismissed. Epping Forest Council argued the hotel posed safety concerns and breached planning law. Government lawyers countered that such rulings risked encouraging further unrest and could undermine the Home Office’s duty to provide accommodation for asylum seekers.

Border Security Minister Dame Angela Eagle said the government would continue working with local authorities to “address legitimate concerns” while reiterating the pledge to close all asylum hotels by the end of the current Parliament.

The case is likely to have wider implications, with ministers preparing for more councils to follow Epping’s example. As a result of the injunction, asylum seekers at the Bell Hotel must leave by 12 September. The legal challenges highlight growing tensions between local councils, the Home Office, and communities over the placement of asylum seekers in temporary hotels. While some authorities see court action as necessary, others are relying on planning rules to manage housing arrangements without resorting to legal disputes.