William Eichler 26 November 2025

Council appeals Bell Hotel court decision

Council appeals Bell Hotel court decision image
© William Barton / Shutterstock.com.

Epping Forest District Council has voted to appeal against a recent High Court decision to allow the use of The Bell Hotel as temporary accommodation for refugees.

The council sought to block the Home Office from placing asylum seekers at The Bell Hotel in Epping by arguing its owner was in breach of planning rules.

The High Court dismissed the case, reportedly ruling an injunction was ‘not an appropriate means of enforcing planning control’.

The hotel became the focus of anti-immigration protests over the summer.

The council yesterday voted to proceed to the next stage of the appeals process, adding that it ‘remains committed to the closure of the Bell Hotel.’

Check out: Is immigration making the UK an ‘island of strangers’?

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