"Asylum seekers can continue living at an Essex hotel after a council lost a landmark legal battle to remove them at the High Court. Epping Forest District Council sought to block migrants lodging at The Bell Hotel in Epping by arguing its owner had flouted planning rules. Mr Justice Mould dismissed the claim on Tuesday, ruling an injunction was "not an appropriate means of enforcing planning control"."
"The judge said he accepted "the criminal behaviour of a small number of individual asylum seekers" housed at the hotel had "raised the fear of crime" among locals. But he rejected the idea that hotel owner Somani Hotels had shown a "flagrant or persistent abuse of planning control"."
Asylum seekers will remain housed at The Bell Hotel in Epping after the High Court dismissed Epping Forest District Council's attempt to remove them. The council argued the hotel owner, Somani Hotels, had flouted planning rules and sought an injunction to block migrants lodging there. Mr Justice Mould found an injunction was not an appropriate means of enforcing planning control and rejected that the owner had shown flagrant or persistent abuse. The judge accepted that criminal behaviour by a small number of residents had raised fear of crime locally. The court noted a continuing need to house people with pending asylum claims so the Home Secretary can fulfil statutory duties.
Read at www.bbc.com
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