Latest news with #EppingForestCouncil
The Sun
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Labour's migrant hotels policy dealt major blow after council WINS battle to stop asylum seekers being housed there
ASYLUM seekers will be kicked out of a flashpoint hotel after a council yesterday won a court battle to ban them living there. The decision is a huge blow to the Government's policy of housing migrants in hotels. 4 4 4 A High Court judge ruled the move to accommodate the migrants over paying customers at The Bell Hotel may breach planning rules. Epping Forest District Council launched the legal challenge after protests erupted in recent weeks. Public anger grew after a migrant living at the hotel in Epping, Essex, was charged with sexual assault. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the ruling throws Labour's asylum policy into chaos. 'Plans thrown into chaos' Other councils are now poised to launch their own legal challenges to the Home Office scheme. Twelve hotels located in areas where Reform UK has a majority are understood to be planning their own court battles. Corina Gander, Tory leader of Broxbourne Borough Council, Herts, said the decision had set a 'massive precedent' and boosted their efforts to close a migrant hotel. Yesterday's temporary injunction, subject to appeal, means everyone being put up at The Bell must leave before September 12, with a hearing to decide whether to make it permanent later in the year. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper's 11th-hour bid to get the case dismissed was refused by the judge. A lawyer for the Home Office warned the decision would 'substantially impact' its ability to house asylum seekers in hotels. Edward Brown KC also said it 'runs the risk of acting as an impetus for further violent protests'. Border security minister Angela Eagle said the Government aimed to close all asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament. She said: 'We will continue working with local authorities to address legitimate concerns. 'We will carefully consider this judgment.' Mr Philp said: 'This throws asylum accommodation plans into chaos. "Many councils will now follow Epping's lead and take legal action to avoid hundreds of young male illegal immigrants being housed in the middle of their communities. All things being equal, The Bell will be empty by September 12, and that's really important for Epping Forest. Philip Coppel KC 'We now know many crimes including rapes and sexual assaults have been committed by illegal immigrants in asylum hotels, and many local councils will want to protect their residents from this.' After a hearing in London's High Court last week, Mr Justice Eyre said Somani Hotels Limited, owners of The Bell Hotel, had 'sidestepped public scrutiny' by not applying for planning permission to convert it to migrant use. In his judgment, he said that while the council in Epping had not 'definitively established' Somani Hotels had breached planning rules, 'the strength of the claimant's case is such that it weighs in favour' of granting the injunction. He also said the fear of crime being committed by migrants was a 'relevant factor' and it is 'understandable' that recent arrests 'form a basis for the local concern'. 4 Philip Coppel KC, for the local authority, said the situation was 'wholly unacceptable' and provided a 'feeding ground for unrest'. He added: 'There has 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. '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. 'It really could not be much worse than this.' Council leader Chris Whitbread hailed the judgement. Outside the Royal Courts of Justice, he said: 'All things being equal, The Bell will be empty by September 12, and that's really important for Epping Forest. 'The Government have to address the bigger issue of the illegal asylum problem, but in Epping Forest we will stand up for our residents.' Mr Whitbread also urged locals not to gloat. He said: 'Don't protest. 'This is the beginning, not the end.' This community stood up bravely, despite being slandered as far-right, and have won. Nigel Farage Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called it 'a victory for the parents and concerned residents of Epping'. He said: 'This community stood up bravely, despite being slandered as far-right, and have won. 'They represent the vast majority of decent people in this country. 'Young, undocumented males who break into the UK illegally should not be free to walk the streets anywhere. 'They must be detained and deported. 'I hope that Epping provides inspiration to others.' Piers Riley-Smith, for Somani Hotels, said that 'disagreement with Government policy' did not justify an injunction. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch hailed the ruling as a 'victory for mums and dads'. She said of the migrants: 'They need to be moved out immediately. 'Bring back a proper deterrent and remove all illegal arrivals immediately, so towns like Epping never have to deal with this again.' In 2023, Great Yarmouth Borough Council won an injunction preventing hotels along its seafront from being used to house asylum seekers. FLAGS FURORE By Julia Atherley SIX white mini-roundabouts have been daubed with red crosses to make them look like St George's flags, sparking a police probe. Cops are treating the incidents in parts of Birmingham and in Bromsgrove, Worcs, as criminal damage. It comes after Birmingham Council and Tower Hamlets in East London took down England and Union flags from lamp-posts despite backing the flying of pro-Palestine flags. One Brummie said: 'There's a real sense that people who are proud to be British are being made to feel ashamed of their patriotism.' The Union Jack and St George's flags have been raised nationwide as part of an online movement called Operation Raise the Colours.
BreakingNews.ie
12 hours ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Asylum seekers to be removed from UK hotel as council granted injunction
Asylum seekers will be removed from a hotel in England after a council was granted a temporary court injunction blocking them from being housed there. Epping Forest District Council in Essex had asked a judge to issue an interim injunction stopping migrants from being accommodated at the Bell Hotel in Epping. Advertisement Reform UK leader Nigel Farage hailed the London High Court decision in Epping as a 'victory' and said he hopes it 'provides inspiration to others across the country', while the shadow home secretary argued that residents have 'every right to object' to people being housed in their area. The 12 councils where Reform UK is the largest party are understood to be exploring the prospect of legal challenges following Tuesday's ruling. The UK Home Office had warned the judge that an injunction could 'interfere' with the department's legal obligations, and lawyers representing the hotel's owner argued it would set a 'precedent'. Epping Forest District Council had asked a judge to issue an interim injunction stopping migrants from being accommodated at the Bell Hotel. Advertisement The hotel has been at the centre of a series of protests in recent weeks after an asylum seeker who was staying there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Reacting to the news, Mr Farage said that 'young, undocumented males who break into the UK illegally should NOT be free to walk the streets anywhere. They must be detained and deported'. Chris Whitbread, leader of Epping Forest District Council, spoke to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday (Yui Mok/PA) 'I hope that Epping provides inspiration to others across the country,' he said. British Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch suggested that the migrants housed at the hotel 'need to be moved out of the area immediately', while her shadow home secretary Chris Philp said that 'residents should never have had to fight their own government just to feel safe in their own town'. Advertisement He said: 'Local residents have every right to feel safe in their own streets and every right to object when their community is treated as a dumping ground.' A Labour source said the move by the Tory-led council, who did not challenge the Conservative government when they were housing asylum seekers, was politically motivated and authority leaders were 'scared' of Reform. Asked on Tuesday why the council did not previously take legal action, Epping Forest District Council leader Chris Whitbread told the PA news agency: 'It goes back to 2020 when we were in the pandemic originally, and at that time, it was used for young families, women and children, which is completely different to having it used for single males. 'Obviously, we have always raised our concerns with the Home Office, whether it be the previous government or this government, we raised our concerns.' Advertisement Border security minister Dame Angela Eagle said the British government will 'continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns'. She added: 'Our work continues to close all asylum hotels by the end of this parliament.' Meanwhile, the council leader for Borough of Broxbourne Council, Corina Gander, told PA the High Court's injunction set a 'massive precedent' and the council would gather 'more detail about what Epping has done' before considering a bid to shut down another hotel housing asylum seekers. Lawyers for the Home Office had warned the court that an injunction 'runs the risk of acting as an impetus for further violent protests'. Advertisement Edward Brown KC also said the injunction would 'substantially interfere' with the Home Office's statutory duty in potentially avoiding a breach of the asylum seekers' human rights. Several protests and counter-protests have been held in the town since a then-resident at the hotel was accused of trying to kiss a teenage girl. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu has denied the charges against him and is due to stand trial later this month. Several protests and counter-protests have been held in the town (Yui Mok/PA) A second man who resides at the hotel, Syrian national Mohammed Sharwarq, has separately been charged with seven offences, while several other men have been charged over disorder outside the hotel. In a ruling on Tuesday, Mr Justice Eyre granted the temporary injunction, but extended the time limit by which the hotel must stop housing asylum seekers to September 12th. He also refused to give Somani Hotels Limited, the hotel's owner, the green light to challenge his ruling, but the company could still ask the Court of Appeal for the go-ahead to appeal against the judgment. Piers Riley-Smith, for the company, asked the judge to be allowed to appeal against the ruling, citing its 'wide-reaching ramifications'. He said that there was a 'compelling reason for the appeal to be heard', including the 'precedent that would be set' by the ruling and the impact that it could have 'on the wider strategy of the (Home Secretary) in relation to the housing of asylum seekers in hotels as part of meeting their statutory duties'.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ministers braced for further legal challenges after High Court Epping decision
Ministers could face further legal challenges over asylum hotels after a council was granted a temporary injunction blocking migrants from being housed there. Nigel Farage hailed the High Court decision in Epping as a 'victory' and said he hopes it 'provides inspiration to others across the country', while the shadow home secretary argued that residents have 'every right to object' to people being housed in their area. The Home Office had warned the judge that an injunction could 'interfere' with the department's legal obligations, and lawyers representing the hotel's owner argued it would set a 'precedent'. Epping Forest District Council had asked a judge to issue an interim injunction stopping migrants from being accommodated at the Bell Hotel. The hotel has been at the centre of a series of protests in recent weeks after an asylum seeker who was staying there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Reacting to the news, Reform UK leader Mr Farage said that 'young, undocumented males who break into the UK illegally should NOT be free to walk the streets anywhere. They must be detained and deported'. 'I hope that Epping provides inspiration to others across the country,' he said. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch suggested that the migrants housed at the hotel 'need to be moved out of the area immediately', while her shadow home secretary Chris Philp said that 'residents should never have had to fight their own government just to feel safe in their own town'. He said: 'Local residents have every right to feel safe in their own streets and every right to object when their community is treated as a dumping ground.' Lawyers for the Home Office had warned the court that an injunction 'runs the risk of acting as an impetus for further violent protests'. Edward Brown KC also said the injunction would 'substantially interfere' with the Home Office's statutory duty in potentially avoiding a breach of the asylum seekers' human rights. Several protests and counter-protests have been held in the town since a then-resident at the hotel was accused of trying to kiss a teenage girl. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu has denied the charges against him and is due to stand trial later this month. A second man who resides at the hotel, Syrian national Mohammed Sharwarq, has separately been charged with seven offences, while several other men have been charged over disorder outside the hotel. In a ruling on Tuesday, Mr Justice Eyre granted the temporary injunction, but extended the time limit by which the hotel must stop housing asylum seekers to September 12. He also refused to give Somani Hotels Limited, the hotel's owner, the green light to challenge his ruling, but the company could still ask the Court of Appeal for the go-ahead to appeal against the judgment. Piers Riley-Smith, for the company, asked the judge to be allowed to appeal against the ruling, citing its 'wide-reaching ramifications'. He said that there was a 'compelling reason for the appeal to be heard', including the 'precedent that would be set' by the ruling and the impact that it could have 'on the wider strategy of the (Home Secretary) in relation to the housing of asylum seekers in hotels as part of meeting their statutory duties'.
Telegraph
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Migrants must leave Epping hotel, High Court rules
Asylum seekers can no longer be housed in a hotel in Epping, a High Court judge has ruled. Epping Forest council has been granted a temporary injunction to prevent Somani Hotels, the owner of the Bell Hotel in the Essex town, from accommodating migrants through a Home Office contract. In a ruling on Tuesday, Mr Justice Eyre granted the temporary injunction but extended the time limit by which the hotel must stop housing asylum seekers from an initial 14 days to 24. All asylum seekers must now leave the hotel by September 12. The court's ruling, delivered on Tuesday, came after the Home Office had attempted to derail the injunction at the last minute. Barristers representing the department suggested that a decision to approve the application could put Britain's asylum hotel scheme at risk of falling apart. There could be 'similar applications made elsewhere that would then aggravate pressures on the asylum estate' and injunction applications could become a 'new norm adopted by local authorities', lawyers for the Home Office submitted. The Home Office lawyers also suggested that granting the injunction 'runs the risk of acting as an impetus for further violent protests'. In a lengthy judgment granting the interim injunction, Mr Justice Eyre cited that there had been 'lawful protests' against 'the use of the Bell to accommodate asylum seekers', adding: 'These protests have caused a degree of disruption to the lives of local residents. 'No one factor is determinative by itself, and I have looked at matters in the round. My conclusion on this issue is that the balance of convenience falls in favour of the grant of interim relief.' The alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old schoolgirl by an Ethiopian asylum seeker living at the Bell Hotel prompted demonstrations, which began last month, outside the hotel. Hadush Kebatu, 41, is charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence. He denies all charges. The Home Office was not represented at a previous hearing in the case on Friday. However, at the start of the hearing on Tuesday the department asked to be allowed to intervene. Edward Brown KC said: 'If the injunction is granted by the court, it will substantially impact on the Home Secretary's statutory duties. The local authority should in fact have given some consideration to the wider public interest in this application.' He added that the injunction bid 'causes particular, acute difficulties at the present date'. Mr Justice Eyre refused the intervention and told barristers: 'The secretary of state had sufficient time to take steps to ensure that material that she now wants to bring forward to the court was put before the court.' He said: 'It is my assessment that the joinder of the [Home Secretary] is not necessary so the court can determine all matters in dispute in proceedings. The consequences of the [Home Secretary] joining would be the loss of yet further court time. The impact of that is significant.' Chris Whitbread, the leader of Epping Forest district council, said: 'I am delighted. This is great news for our residents. The last few weeks have placed an intolerable strain on our community, but today we have some great news. 'Thank you to Mr Justice Eyre. For the first time in weeks, we can see a chink of light at the end of the tunnel. I also want to say a massive thank you to our planning and legal teams, who have worked day and night in preparation for our day in court. They have done our council proud. 'This is not the end of the matter. Having obtained an interim provision the next stage is for the council to return to the court and seek a permanent injunction. 'Home Office policy ignores 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.' The judge refused to give Somani Hotels the green light to challenge his ruling. Piers Riley-Smith, for the company, had asked him to be allowed to appeal against it, citing its 'wide-reaching ramifications'. He argued that there was a 'compelling reason for the appeal to be heard', including the 'precedent that would be set' by the ruling and the impact that it could have 'on the wider strategy of the [Home Secretary] in relation to the housing of asylum seekers in hotels as part of meeting their statutory duties'. Mr Justice Eyre said that he was 'not persuaded there is such a compelling reason'. Somani Hotels could still ask the Court of Appeal for the go-ahead to challenge the ruling. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: 'This ruling is a moment of relief for the people of Epping. Residents should never have had to fight their own Government just to feel safe in their own town. 'Local residents have every right to feel safe in their own streets and every right to object when their community is treated as a dumping ground.' He accused Labour of deciding to 'tear up the deterrents the Conservatives put in place'. Enver Solomon, the chief executive of the Refugee Council, said the ruling should signal the end of the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, adding: 'Everyone agrees that hotels are the wrong answer – they cost the taxpayer billions, trap people in limbo and are flashpoints in communities. 'Through our frontline work, we see how protests and hostility leave people who have fled war and persecution feeling terrified and targeted in the very places they are forced to live. This makes an already traumatising situation worse and prevents people from feeling safe. 'Instead of using costly hotels, the Government should partner with local councils to provide safe, cost-effective accommodation within communities.'
The Sun
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Migrants BLOCKED from hotel at centre of protests in landmark ruling after asylum seeker ‘sexually assaulted teen girl'
A COUNCIL has sensationally won a bid to temporary block asylum seekers from being housed at a hotel following spate of fierce protests. The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, has been at the centre of anti-immigration demonstrations after one of its guests was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. 5 5 A second asylum seeker has since also been charged with sexual assault. Epping Forest District Council launched a bid at the High Court last week to block migrants from being housed at the hotel. A top judge today granted a temporary injunction blocking asylum seekers from being housed at the hotel. The decision comes after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper made a last-ditch bid to intervene in the battle. Edward Brown KC argued the block would have a 'substantial impact' on the Home Secretary's statutory duty to house asylum seekers. He also said there is a 'powerful public interest' in her being able to intervene to make arguments in the case - but the court heard an application was not made until last night. It claimed Somani Hotels breached planning rules as the site is not being used for its intended purpose as a hotel. Lawyers for the council also claimed the situation "could not be much worse". Philip Coppel KC said: "There has 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. "It is a problem that is causing great local anxiety." The council sought to block Somani from housing asylum seekers within 14 days. But barristers for the company said the "draconian" move would cause "hardship" for those inside the hotel. They also argued "political views" were not grounds for an injunction and that contracts to house asylum seekers were a "financial lifeline". Lawyers said the hotel was only one per cent full in August 2022, when it was open to paying customers. Moment riot cops smash shield into man's face and 'knock his teeth out' in clash after migrant 'sexually assaulted' girl Protests erupted outside the taxpayer-funded 'surge' accommodation for illegal arrivals last month. Up to 2,000 far-Right activists marched on the building in just one demonstration. The unrest saw yobs launching themselves on riot vans, smashing windshields and ripping off wingmirrors in senseless displays of "hooliganism". Officers from at least six forces outside of the county were forced to swoop to try and keep the peace. Missiles were thrown and a number of police vehicles were damaged as the demonstrators clashed with cops. One man was run over while attempting to stop a police van gaining access to the hotel, while another had his teeth knocked out after riot cops smashed a shield into his face. It came after a Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. Hadush Kebatu, 41, from Ethiopia, has denied the offences and remains in custody. Since tensions reached boiling point, violent demonstrations have cost the force around £100,000. A total of 28 people have been arrested in relation to disorder at the hotel, and 16 of them have been charged. 5 5 5
