“Enough is enough”, said the council leader as the authority launches legal action in the High Court.
Protests erupted in Epping surrounding the hotel. (Image: Getty Images)
A council has launched legal action to close the Bell Hotel in Epping and stop it from being used to house migrants. The hotel in Essex became the centre of huge protests this summer after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl.
Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, denies sexual assault and is due to stand trial this month. Now, the Tory-led Epping Forest District Council has submitted an interim injunction application against the hotel’s owners, seeking to prevent any further asylum seekers from being accommodated at the Bell Hotel until a proper planning application for a change of use is submitted and decided. The council has long opposed the use of the Bell Hotel for asylum accommodation and has repeatedly called for its closure.
It said that recent serious incidents have made the situation untenable, adding that despite significant local concerns and fears, the Government has failed to address these issues.
Cllr Holly Whitbread, whose council ward covers the area where the Bell Hotel is located in Epping, brought a motion to full council demanding the immediate and permanent closure of the hotel.
The motion received unanimous cross-party support, highlighting strong local opposition to the hotel’s use as an all-male asylum centre, especially given its proximity to a school and residential homes, the council said.
Police officers stand outside the Bell Hotel where there has been several protests held outside (Image: Getty)
Council Leader, Cllr Chris Whitbread, said: “Enough is enough.
“The Bell Hotel has caused serious disruption to our community and must close immediately. If this was within the council’s control, it would never have been reopened.
“We believe the hotel breaches planning regulations and is wholly unsuitable for housing asylum seekers.
“No more asylum seekers should be accommodated there. We are taking legal action against the private owners, who have no legal obligation to house asylum seekers.”
Cllr Whitbread added: “We are acting decisively on behalf of residents who are rightly concerned. We have tried to resolve this quietly with the Government, but they have ignored us. This is now a matter for the courts.”
There have been several protests — and counter-protests — since July 13 over the hotel being used to house migrants.
Essex Police recently issued dispersal orders ahead of some protests, giving officers the power to direct anyone suspected of committing antisocial behaviour to leave the area.
On Monday, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch visited Epping, where she spoke to anti-migrant hotel protestors and locals.
Since Labour entered power, 50,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel.
