Epping Forest District Council has applied for a High Court injunction to prevent asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel, citing fears of worsening community tensions following weeks of protests some of which have turned violent.
The town, located northeast of London, has seen at least six protests outside the Bell Hotel since mid-July. Demonstrations began after an asylum seeker was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, an allegation he denies. The unrest has since escalated, with police reporting 28 arrests and 16 charges linked to public disorder. Officers and vehicles have been attacked during the disturbances.
Council leader Chris Whitbread, a member of the Conservative Party, said the decision to seek an interim injunction was driven by concerns over public safety and planning regulations. “The current situation cannot go on. If the Bell Hotel was a nightclub, we could have closed it down long ago,” he said.
The council argues that the building’s use as asylum seeker accommodation breaches planning permissions, particularly due to its proximity to local schools and a care home. Officials have also expressed concern over the lack of criminal record checks for those housed there. “The use by the Home Office of the premises for asylum seekers poses a clear risk of further escalating community tensions already at a high, and the risk of irreparable harm to the local community,” Whitbread added.
The protests in Epping have sparked wider anti-immigration demonstrations in London and other parts of England, reflecting growing political pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government. Starmer has pledged to cut the number of migrants and asylum seekers entering the UK in an effort to counter the rise of the hard-right Reform UK party.
However, Whitbread accused the government of failing to address local concerns. “We should not have to take this fight to the High Court, but we are left with no choice,” he said.
The Home Office has yet to comment on the injunction request, but the legal battle is set to intensify the national debate over asylum accommodation and community safety.
