"At the start of a day-long hearing, barristers said the order to clear the hotel of 138 asylum seekers had been made without taking into account the precedent it would set. Edward Brown KC, for the home secretary, said: "The judge erred in declining to allow the Secretary of State to participate in the proceedings, given her unique institutional competence and her statutory duty.""
"Mr Justice Eyre ruled the hotel cannot be used to accommodate asylum seekers from 12 September after an injunction sought by Epping Forest District Council. The council claimed that planning rules had been breached. It asked for it to be granted after thousands of people protested against the use of the hotel as asylum seeker accommodation. Somani Hotels Limited said in a written submission to the court: "The issue of the use of hotels for asylum seekers is one of national importance and scrutiny.""
An injunction currently prevents the Bell Hotel in Epping from housing 138 asylum seekers after a judge ruled against its use from 12 September. The Home Office and the hotel have appealed to the Court of Appeal to lift the order, arguing the decision failed to consider national implications and denied the Secretary of State the opportunity to participate. Councils elsewhere may seek similar injunctions over hotel use, raising concerns about precedent and the wider asylum accommodation programme. Somani Hotels Limited denies deliberate planning breaches and warns that losing the hotel would hinder the Home Office's ability to meet legal duties and leave unclear where asylum seekers would be housed.
Read at www.bbc.com
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