Great Yarmouth Council wins asylum seeker hotel injunction

Great Yarmouth Borough Council won an injunction to prevent hotels in a seafront area being used to house asylum seekers

A council has won an injunction preventing hotels in a tourist area being used to house asylum seekers.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council took legal action against Serco, Amayo Properties Ltd and H & H North Ltd to prevent hotels in an area on the seafront being used.

Justice Holgate issued a final injunction order on 2 May at the High Court in London.

The Home Office said it cannot comment on third party litigation.

During the case, the council argued that using the hotels would be an unauthorised change of use to a hostel and therefore would require planning permission.

The authority said it "used its full suite of planning enforcement tools" to prevent it, but ultimately turned to the court for a planning injunction.

'Proud history'

The area, designated GY6 in the council's local plan, is under a strategy to be protected and enhanced for tourism, the council said.

In his decision, the council said Justice Holgate called GY6 "a highly specific, protective policy directed to a large and highly important sector of the borough's economy."

A spokesperson for the council said: "Our town has a long and proud history of welcoming and supporting people from all over the world. We continue to help support asylum seekers placed in the town who have no control over where they are accommodated.

"However, we have a responsibility to enforce planning laws and make sure local residents and businesses all play by the same rules and are protected from unauthorised and inappropriate use of local properties.

''Tourism, and the economic benefits it affords the town, are crucial and it was essential we took this action to protect the sector and those it supports."

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain."

Using hotels to house asylum seekers is "unacceptable" as it is costing taxpayers £6m a day, the Home Office said.