Council considers action over asylum hotel verdict

Thousands of people have protested outside The Bell Hotel in Essex

A Reform UK-run council has said it is "actively looking at the options" after the High Court decided asylum seekers should be evicted from a hotel.

A judge imposed a temporary injunction blocking migrants from being housed at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.

There are three hotels being used for asylum seekers in West Northamptonshire.

"We are currently considering the implications of this judgment to understand any similarities and differences and actively looking at the options now available to us," said West Northamptonshire Council leader Mark Arnull.

"We have always been clear with the government and the public that the current use of three hotels in west Northamptonshire have never been suitable locations for asylum accommodation and place an unreasonable and unsustainable strain on our already-stretched local services."

Arnull said the hotels caused "concerns for our communities" and he had raised "these issues" with the Home Office and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.

Council leader Mark Arnull said he could not comment further, other than to say the council was looking at options

Earlier this year, Conservative MP for Daventry Stuart Andrew - who is also shadow culture secretary - said he shared the "anger" of constituents over the use of a hotel in his constituency.

Following Tuesday's High Court decision, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said the party would pursue similar cases over hotels across all the 10 council areas it controlled.

Talking to BBC Radio Northampton earlier, independent West Northamptonshire councillor Ian McCord said he had been "unhappy" for a "number of years" about one local hotel being used for asylum seekers.

He said it was an unsuitable location for migrants.

"In my view, people go to a hotel for a temporary stay, and frankly, this is their permanent address now."

Border Security Minister Angela Eagle pointed out that the number of hotels being used for migrants had dropped from more than 400 in 2023, down to 210.

"We will continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns," she said.

"Our work continues to close all asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament.

"We will carefully consider this judgement."

Imram Hussain from the Refugee Council has said migrants should be placed in "dispersal accommodation around the country" as an alternative to hotels.