Hotel owner gets permission to appeal asylum order

The Bell Hotel has been at the centre of intense protests and counter-protests over recent weeks

The owner of a hotel blocked from housing asylum seekers has been granted permission to challenge the decision at the Court of Appeal.

Thousands of people have protested against the use of The Bell Hotel in Epping as asylum seeker accommodation.

Last week, a High Court judge granted a temporary injunction and said migrants at the site in Essex would need to be moved out by 12 September.

Somani Hotels Limited will make submissions at the court in London on Thursday.

The Home Office is due to appeal against the ruling at the same hearing, and will challenge Mr Justice Eyre's decision not to allow the government to intervene in the case.

Epping Forest District Council had lodged the injunction application.

Its lawyer, Philip Coppel KC, said Somani Hotels had not advised or notified the council about housing migrants at the site and therefore had breached planning rules.

Lawyers for Somani Hotels said the move would cause asylum seekers "hardship" and said "political views" were not grounds for an injunction to be made.

A small crowd gathered outside The Bell Hotel in the evening following the High Court judgement last week

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said on Friday that the government had "made a commitment that we will close all of the asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament", but added that "we need to do that in a managed and ordered way".

Since the injunction was granted, councils across the UK controlled by Labour, the Conservatives and Reform UK, are investigating whether they could also pursue legal challenges relating to hotels in their districts.

Protests started being arranged at The Bell Hotel after asylum seeker Hadush Kebatu, 41, was arrested and subsequently charged with sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and harassment without violence.

He denies the offences and is on trial at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court, concluding at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

Sixteen people have been charged with offences relating to disorder during the protests at the hotel.