Editor Paul Brand has posted to X stating that the "Home Office is absolutely fuming at the High Court decision on Epping".
Epping Forest District Council have been granted a temporary High Court injunction to stop asylum seekers from being housed at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex. The hotel is owned by Somani Hotels Limited.
The council argued that the hotel’s use as asylum accommodation breached planning laws, as it was no longer functioning as a traditional hotel but as a hostel, without proper planning permission.
Mr Justice Eyre ruled on August 19, 2025, that the hotel must cease housing asylum seekers by 12th September, 2025, citing a material change of use and public safety concerns due to unrest.
The Home Office’s last-minute attempt to intervene was dismissed, with warnings that the ruling could impact asylum housing nationwide.
Paul Brand posted:
Home Office is absolutely fuming at High Court decision on Epping, with a source calling it “dangerous”.
They accuse judges of meddling in asylum policy, as with immigration cases where criminals have been allowed to stay in the U.K. under human rights rulings by judges.
They say councils will waste tax payers money fighting a govt that is already working to end use of hotels by asylum seekers.
Govt says no. of hotels being used is down from 402 to 210 under them and this is a political move by Tories who opened Bell Hotel on their watch.
I think fair to say the government does not think this judgement is helpful, but they stress that it is an interim judgement which will be tested again in Oct/Nov.
https://twitter.com/PaulBrandITV/status/1957840308739190896
