The landmark court ruling that has closed a migrant hotel in Epping is ‘being reviewed’ in Wokingham Borough.
The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex has been forced to close, with asylum seekers evicted after Epping Forest District Council obtained a High Court interim injunction halting use of the hotel on Tuesday, August 19.
The order was pursued following a summer of protest outside the hotel after news spread that Hadush Kebatu, 41, an asylum seeker from Ethiopia, was charged with three sexual offences, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity – charges he denies.
Mohammed Sharwarq, 32, a Syrian national living in the same hotel, has been charged with sexual assault, two counts of common assault, and four counts of assault by beating.
A BBC report states that these offences are alleged to have occurred inside the Bell Hotel.
Mr Sharwaq denied the claim of sexual assault, but admitted the non-sexual offences at a court hearing, according to a Sky News report.
The acquisition of the injunction has prompted other councils to do the same.
The Best Western Plus Moat House Hotel in Mill Road, Sindlesham, is suspected of being used to house asylum seekers.
In February, ‘two to three men’ were arrested on suspicion of public order incidents in Lower Earley, with neighbours claiming the suspects were staying at the hotel.
Following the Epping ruling, the leader of Wokingham Borough Council has said that its implications are being monitored.
Councillor Stephen Conway (Liberal Democrats, Twyford, Ruscombe & Hurst) said: “Following the Epping Forest injunction, we are reviewing the legal and planning implications. We are also reviewing any actions taken by the government on the decision.
“Wokingham Borough is a strong and welcoming community. We are a place of kindness with a high level of community cohesion and a strong sense of community.
“We are working towards being a borough where people trust and respect each other and where everyone feels they belong.
“We will update our community when we know more.”
The High Court injunction was justified as Epping Forest District Council argued that the owners of the hotel should have sought planning permission to change the use of the building.
Planning permission for the usage of a building is required to determine its impact on the surrounding area, which includes the amenity of neighbours, traffic implications and other considerations.
It is understood that the Best Western Plus Moat House is the only hotel being used to house asylum seekers in Wokingham Borough.
Earlier this year, Yuan Yang, the Labour for Earley and Woodley, said the government is working to speed up the processing of asylum applications.
She said using hotels “is not a sustainable way to manage the asylum system.”
