Several councils across the country have said they are considering taking legal action following a High Court ruling on an Essex hotel
Cresta Court in Altrincham is housing asylum seekers(Image: Getty Images)
Council across the country are considering taking legal action against the government over its use of hotels to house asylum seekers. It follows a High Court ruling on Tuesday (August 20) that blocks asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel in an Essex town.
Ministers are now bracing for further legal challenges from local authorities in England after Epping Forest District Council was granted the temporary injunction. The ruling means that the current residents of the hotel must be removed by September 12.
Several councils, including some run by the Labour Party, have said they are considering taking similar action, according to the PA news agency. Reform leader Nigel Farage has indicated that councils run by his party will look at their own legal challenges too.
In Greater Manchester, there are currently nine hotels used to house asylum seekers, the Manchester Evening News understands.
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It comes after hotels in Manchester, Rochdale and Wigan that had been used as asylum seeker accommodation were closed.
Four hotels are still being used to house asylum seekers in Manchester with one in Oldham, two in Stockport and two in Trafford.
Protests have taken place in recent weeks outside Cresta Court in Altrincham which was turned into an asylum hotel last year.
At the time, Trafford council raised concerns about the move to start using the hotel to temporarily house asylum seekers.
The local Tory group has now written to the council’s chief executive calling on her to consider seeking an Epping-style injunction.
A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: “We are aware of the High Court ruling concerning Epping Council and are now awaiting the final details of the judgement before we make any decisions.”
Manchester council, which has the highest number of asylum hotels in the region, said it is ‘assessing the implications’ of the ruling.
Oldham and Stockport councils have been contacted for comment.
Protests have been taking place outside an asylum seeker hotel in Cresta Court(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Coun Louise Gittins, Chair of the Local Government Association, which represents councils across England and Wales, said: “We are taking stock of the temporary injunction from the High Court and will be convening meetings with the Home Office, MHCLG and other partners, including the National Police Chiefs’ Council, to understand how best to support our councils following the decision.
“It will, of course, be for individual councils to determine what this ruling means for them. We know that asylum and resettlement is linked to wider issues such as housing pressures and community cohesion and that the spread of misinformation remains a concern.
“Councils are working to help keep communities united during this period.
“In the meantime, we continue to stress to government that the Home Office must work much more closely with councils regarding asylum accommodation decisions and on improving the current asylum system in the long-term.
“Councils understand their places and communities best and the Home Office should be drawing on this experience in any locating decisions and through the existing engagement around asylum and resettlement that the LGA facilitates.”
Angela Eagle MP, Border Security Minister said: “This Government inherited a broken asylum system, at the peak there were over 400 hotels open.
“We will continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns. Our work continues to close all asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament.
“We will carefully consider this judgment. As this matter remains subject to ongoing legal proceedings it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”