Council continues legal bid against asylum hotel

Epping Forest District Council leader Chris Whitbread (centre) said "a strong majority" of councillors backed continuing court proceedings

Epping Forest District Council is going to continue its legal action and appeal against a High Court decision that rejected its case to close Epping's Bell Hotel to asylum seekers.

Its Conservative leader, Chris Whitbread, told the BBC after a meeting on Tuesday night that "we have agreed we are going to continue the process of appeal", adding "a strong majority" of councillors backed continuing court proceedings.

Earlier this month, Mr Justice Mould dismissed the council's claim, ruling an injunction was "not an appropriate means of enforcing planning control".

The Home Office said the judgment allowed it to work to close every asylum hotel in an "orderly, planned and sustained programme".

Epping Forest councillors moved into private session to discuss potential further legal action

The extraordinary council meeting was held in private session, so councillors could receive legal advice.

Mr Whitbread told the BBC afterwards that the cost of the legal action would be made public "very soon".

He said "council tax will be going up in the coming year, but not because of The Bell", adding the cost would hopefully be found "from our reserves".

Jon Whitehouse, Liberal Democrat group leader, said: "The legal action initiated by the Conservative cabinet, which has cost far more than most councillors expected, has so far achieved precisely nothing except to drain the council's reserves."

The Bell Hotel was the focal point of intense protests and counter-protests over the summer

Epping became the epicentre for anti-asylum hotel protests this summer.

They started after an asylum seeker was accused of sexual assault against a woman and teenage girl in the town centre.

Hadush Kebatu, 41, was found guilty and sent to jail, before accidentally being released from Chelmsford Prison. He has since been deported to Ethiopia.

The events sparked weekly protests and counter protests. It has split the community with those against the use of the hotel and others displeased with regular protests and marches and an increased police presence.

Earlier this month, Epping Forest District Council lost a High Court case to seek an injunction against hotel owner Somani and the Home Office using the site on the edge of Epping to house asylum seekers.

The local authority won an emergency interim injunction to close the hotel to migrants in the summer, only to have the ruling overturned by the Court of Appeal.