A High Court judge will decide today if the Bell Hotel in Epping will no longer be allowed to house asylum seekers due to the breach of planning rules. The outcome is expected at 2pm. Epping Forest District Council is seeking an interim injunction against the hotel - owned by Somani Hotels - to stop it from being used to house migrants. The local authority is arguing that the establishment is not being operated as intended, with its lawyers saying it is “a feeding group for unrest”. The injunction, if granted, would require the company to stop housing asylum seekers at the hotel within 14 days.
The hearing began at the High Court in London on Friday, where Philip Coppel KC said the issue was “getting out of hand” and “causing great anxiety” to residents. Epping has been the centre of unrest over the past few months, with locals taking to the streets in protest against the migrant hotel.
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