High court decision to be made on Epping asylum hotel injunction

In a hotel, the housing seekers are having a “unacceptable” risk for public safety, stating the High Court.

The Epting Forest District Council has applied for a temporary prohibition to block the shelter seekers by being placed in the Bell Hotel in Essex, Essex.

Protests started outside the hotel last month and Essex police said 2,000 people were demonstrating near the hotel at one point and 16 people were accused of crimes related to disturbances.

Representing the Authority at the Royal Court of Justice, Philip Copel Casey, said: “The protests are unfortunately participated by violence and disorder.”

Protests have been held at the hotel as a person living there was accused of sexual harassment, harassment and abetment to a girl to engage in sexual activity.

Hadush Kebatu, a 41 -year -old Ethiopia, denied crimes and lives on remand in custody.

Mr. Justice Ire is listening to submissions from the owners of the 80 -room hotel on Friday afternoon, but said that it was “unlikely” that a decision would come this week.

The council filed an application on Tuesday and asked that it is effective in the event of being effective within 14 days.

Mr. Copel said: “The Eating Forest District Council is demanding an prohibition in this court as it has a very serious problem.

“What can be done there can be described as an increase in community stress, whose catalyst has used Bell Hotel to keep asylum seekers.

“This is a problem that is creating great local concern.”

Mr. Copel said that the defendant, Somani Hotels, “did not consult or inform the local planning authority to seek their ideas on the use of the site”.

“It was not up to two months later, when Epting Forest received a complaint about the use, that the matter came to the notice of the Planning Department,” he continued.

He said that the hotel was no longer a true hotel as the residents had not chosen to live there like ordinary guests.

“For him, the Bell Hotel does not exceed a hotel, a borrstal for a young criminal,” he said.

He said that this booking did not appear on the sites and people did not go there for food, drinks or meetings.

“It is evacuated from all uses and objectives,” said Mr. Copel.

The council, in a written presentation, told the court that the residents were reported to be afraid and the local business was victims.

The councilors feared that the area was on the “braking point” and since the city’s “focal point” was “constant atmosphere of stress”.

Mr. Copel said that the hotel had three schools with 1,800 students within a kilometer (0.6 mi) radius, and they would soon open for the autumn period.

“Such a risk must be removed,” he said.

The lawyers representing Somani hotels told the court that an prohibition would cause refugee “difficulty” and this step would “set a dangerous example that justifies protests”.

Pierce Relay-Smith for the hotel firm told the court in a written presentation that the prohibition bid should delay the date and the contractual service provider of the Home Office, Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited (CTM) should join the case.

He said that the alleged planning violation was “Not Flagant”, and it was “completely wrong” to the council, suggest that the use is hidden from them “.

The hotel had earlier kept asylum seekers from May 2020 to March 2021, and from October 2022 to April 2024, he said.

The Home Office had earlier told the BBC: “It would be unfair to comment while continuing legal proceedings.”