Great Yarmouth Borough Council has obtained an injunction to stop a second hotel from being used as a hostel for asylum seekers.
In July around 50 asylum seekers were placed in the town's Hotel Victoria as part of a Home Office scheme. The Home Office also plans to use the town’s Embassy Hotel as part of the same scheme.
The council sought the injunction on the basis that using the hotel as a hostel would be an unauthorised change of use, requiring planning permission.
An interim injunction was granted on 16 September which was then extended at a second hearing on 23 September to run until the end of November, when a full hearing will take place.
The court order prevents the use of the Embassy Hotel as a hostel for accommodating asylum seekers.
In addition to the injunction, earlier this month the council served a planning contravention notice in relation to the Hotel Victoria, having earlier served a temporary stop notice.
Council leader Carl Smith said: ‘Great Yarmouth has a proud history of welcoming and supporting people from all over the world. We will continue to help support the asylum seekers placed in the town, and who have no control over where they are housed.
‘We do have a responsibility though to enforce planning laws and make sure that local residents and businesses all play by the same rules and are protected from unauthorised and inappropriate use of local properties.’
