The Home Office has won its appeal against a High Court ruling temporarily banning a hotel in Epping from housing asylum seekers.
Three senior judges in the Court of Appeal announced their decision just 10 days after the High Court imposed the temporary injunction on The Bell Hotel in Essex, following unrest.
Lord Justice Bean told the Court of Appeal that the High Court was “erroneously flawed” in grant Epping council an injunction against use of the hotel.
Quashing the injunction, he said: “We grant permission to appeal, both to Somani and to (the Home Office). We allow the appeals and we set aside the injunction imposed on 19 August 2025.”
The Home Office had argued that banning the hotel from housing asylum seekers would set a dangerous precedent for other councils to follow suit, leaving “asylum seekers potentially living destitute in the streets”. Lord Justice concurred with this argument.
The decision is likely to meet backlash from both Nigel Farage’s Reform and the Conservatives, who have been outspoken in opposition to Labour’s plan to slowly phase out the use of hotels to house asylum seekers.
Asylum seeker hotel ruling
- Home Office wins its case against the High Court
- Epping to continue fighting government after Court of Appeal ruling
- Immediate closure of asylum hotels would be a disaster, says government
- What was the High Court ruling banning refugees in the Bell Hotel?
The key events that led to the Epping asylum seeker injunction being overturned
19:30 , Bryony Gooch
The key events that led to the Epping asylum seeker injunction being overturned
Recap: Somani hotel representatives say they've been 'caught in the middle of a much wider debate on treatment of asylum seekers'
19:15 , Bryony GoochFollowing the Court of Appeal’s ruling, Lisa Foster of Richard Buxton Solicitors, which represents Somani Hotels, said: “We are pleased that the Court of Appeal has ruled that the injunction should not have been granted by the High Court.
“Our clients realise that they have been caught in the middle of a much wider debate on the treatment of asylum seekers and respectfully ask that members of the public understand that the Bell Hotel has simply been providing a contracted service that the Government requires.
“We now ask that all associated with the Bell Hotel are left alone to continue to support the Government’s asylum plans as best they can.
“We are grateful to the Court of Appeal for appreciating the urgency of the matter from everyone’s point of view and dealing with the matter so swiftly.
“We have no further comment and will not be commenting on the matter again.”
Why are there growing calls for Britain to quit the ECHR?
19:00 , Bryony GoochThe UK’s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) has been increasingly called into question in recent years amid growing concern over illegal migration.
But the issue has come to a head in August as a result of outrage over the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels in Britain, with protests breaking out across the UK.
Here, The Independent takes a look at what the ECHR is, why some people think we should quit and why others say leaving may bring more problems than it solves.
Millie Cooke, political correspondent, reports...
Why are there growing calls for UK to quit the ECHR – and would it make a difference?
Recap: Politicians react to Court of Appeal ruling
18:45 , Bryony GoochHome Office minister Dame Angela Eagle MP said that ministers had sought to appeal the injunction so that hotels could be “exited in a controlled and orderly way”. But shadow home secretary Chris Philp accused Labour of “using the courts against the British public”.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch called on Conservative councils to continue to seek similar injunctions against hotels in their areas.
Reform’s Nigel Farage responded to the news, saying: “Illegal migrants have more rights than British people under Starmer”.
In pictures: Protester carries St George's flag with 'GET OFF MY LAND' written on it outside Royal Courts of Justice
18:30 , Bryony Gooch
Police looking for pair who painted England flags on Islamic centre
18:15 , Bryony GoochPolice are looking for two men after St George's crosses and the words "this is England" were painted on an Islamic centre building.
Essex Police has issued photos of two men and said it is investigating the incident in High Road, Vange, as racially aggravated criminal damage.
Police looking for pair who painted England flags on Islamic centre
Epping councillor says children are 'frightened to go to school' in town
18:08 , Bryony GoochAn Epping councillor said the Court of Appeal ruling was “hurtful” and that children are “frightened to go to school” in the town.
Shane Yerrell, who represents Waltham Abbey West for Epping Forest District Council, said he was “disgusted” by the Court of Appeal’s ruling.
Speaking outside the Bell Hotel, Mr Yerrell told the PA news agency: “All the local parents felt like there was one big step forward when the High Court agreed to close the hotel and things started to calm down.
“But then for the Home Office and the Government to both appeal and that be accepted today is hurtful.”
Mr Yerrell added: “You can’t come out and say: ‘These protests in Epping are wrong, I completely condemn them’, but then go against what the people of Epping want, which is the hotel to be closed.
“For the Home Secretary to come out, or her barristers to come out, and say the needs of the asylum seekers are more important than ours – you don’t even know them, you don’t know the history.
“How can you put that before your own people? Or, most importantly, before the children that are frightened to go to school?
“Some of the parents are even talking about taking their kids out of that school now because they’re too frightened of what might happen when they go back in two weeks.”
Watch: Anti-migrant protesters walk through Epping
18:00 , Bryony GoochComment: Think Rylan is right about asylum-seekers? So does Tommy Robinson…
17:53 , Bryony Gooch
Think Rylan is right about asylum-seekers? So does Tommy Robinson…
In pictures: Epping Hotel protesters bring St George and Union flags
17:45 , Bryony Gooch
Explained: How much is the government paying to house asylum seekers in hotels?
17:39 , Bryony GoochEpping Forest District Council will consider taking case to Supreme Court
17:32 , Bryony GoochIn a further statement following the Court of Appeal ruling, Epping Forest District Council said it was “ruling nothing out”, including taking its bid for a temporary injunction to the Supreme Court.
It said: “We do not accept the criticisms of the council which has acted only in the interests of the people of Epping Forest. We are reviewing our position – we are ruling nothing out until we have examined all the options up to and including the Supreme Court.
“Epping Forest District Council has responded to criticism related to earlier use of the Bell Hotel despite this not being relevant to the current legal action.
“The circumstances of the placement in 2023 were very different to those in 2025. In reality the complexity of some planning applications mean that they take much longer than the statutory eight weeks to determine.
“In any case it would not have affected the outcome of the application. At any time after the eight-week period, the hotel operator could have appealed against non-determination.
“In the event, the Home Office ceased the use of the Bell as asylum seeker accommodation and it became an academic point.
“To have continued once the use had ceased would seem to have been a waste of taxpayers’ money, especially as we had no reason to believe the Bell would be stood up again.”
Fears of mass unrest after judges revoke ban on housing migrants at protest-hit Epping hotel
17:30 , Bryony Gooch
Fears of mass unrest after judges revoke ban on housing migrants at protest-hit hotel
Watch: Moment Home Office wins court appeal to keep asylum seekers at protest-hit Epping hotel
17:15 , Bryony GoochAnti-migrant demonstrations and anti-racism counter-protests planned across the UK this weekend
17:11 , Bryony GoochAnti-racism counter-protesters are preparing to mobilise against anti-migrant rallies planned in 23 locations across the UK over the weekend.
Demonstrations are planned on Friday evening for:
- Cheshunt
- Bournemouth
- Chichester
Demonstrations for the rest of the weekend will be in:
- Cardiff
- Oldham
- Nottingham
- Portsmouth
- Gloucester
- Canary Wharf
- Crawley
Broxbourne Council still plans to proceed with legal action, spokesperson says
17:08 , Millie CookeBroxbourne Council still plans to proceed with legal action relating to the housing of asylum seekers in hotels in the local area, a spokesperson has said.
It comes after the Home Office won its appeal against a High Court ruling banning a hotel in Epping from housing asylum seekers.
A spokesperson said the Conservative run council has "taken legal advice regarding the use of the Delta Marriott Hotel in Cheshunt for the accommodation of asylum seekers and still intends to take enforcement action.”
Gloucestershire Police say they are prepared for protest outside migrant hotel
17:05 , Holly BancroftAssistant chief constable Arman Mathieson of Gloucestershire Police has said that the force is "aware of and are well prepared for" a planned migrant hotel protest on Saturday.
Councillor Jeremy Hilton, leader of Gloucester City Council, said that protests were planned outside a hotel on the outskirts of the city, which is currently housing asylum seekers.
Mr Hilton said: “We understand that immigration and housing are complex issues that evoke strong feelings. However, we must ensure that public discourse remains respectful and rooted in facts. The safety and dignity of all Gloucester residents — including asylum seekers — is paramount. We will not tolerate intimidation or hate speech in our city.”
Assistant chief constable Mathieson said: “Police liaison teams have spoken with individuals from the groups due to attend and their co-operation has helped us put suitable plans in place.
“However, we would like to stress that any disorder will not be tolerated in our county and we will take immediate action against anyone who breaks the law."
Ruling to overturn temporary injunction will be handed down remotely on Monday
17:00 , Bryony GoochThe full written ruling overturning the temporary injunction which would have blocked asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel will be handed down remotely on Monday, according to court listings.
Before reading a summary of their judgment on Friday, Lord Justice Bean, sitting with Lady Justice Nicola Davies and Lord Justice Cobb, said their full judgment, running to more than 120 paragraphs, would be handed down later.
Court listings indicate the ruling will be handed down electronically at 4pm on Monday.
In pictures: Protesters and police gather outside Bell Hotel after Court of Appeal rulling
16:51 , Bryony Gooch
Epping Forest Council leader questions whether Bell Hotel owners 'chased' planning application
16:45 , Bryony GoochThe leader of Epping Forest District Council has questioned whether Bell Hotel owners Somani Hotels “chased” its planning application.
In a summary of their ruling, Lord Justice Bean, Lady Justice Nicola Davies and Lord Justice Cobb highlighted that in February 2023 Somani had sought planning permission from the council to temporarily change the hotel’s use to accommodate asylum seekers rather than paying members of the public, but that the council “did not process the application” for more than a year.
Asked why the application had taken so long to process, councillor Christopher Whitbread said he was “not close enough to the detail” to give a “full answer”.
He added: “I think, you know, you have to ask yourself ‘was the company chasing the planning application during that time?’
“In my knowledge of planning applications, if they’ve been delayed, that the company going for the planning application will be chasing the council.
“Did they chase the council? We don’t know.”
Government has 'let Epping residents down' says district council boss
16:37 , Bryony GoochThe Government has “let the residents of Epping down”, the leader of Epping Forest District Council has said.
Councillor Christopher Whitbread told PA: “We don’t want to see some violent scenes around the hotel or in the town itself that would that would only help the Government’s arguments, and it’s the Government that have let the residents of Epping down.
“I had numerous conversations with various people around this issue, the Home Office were not helpful.”
He said housing asylum seekers at the Bell Hotel was “not right” for residents of Epping or those living in the hotel itself, adding: “We made that argument to the previous government and eventually they closed it.
“This Government reopened it in April with no real consultation with us, they instructed us that they were going to use it.
“We were instructed on the numbers and such that they were prepared to use it up to, and really they have let down completely the residents of Epping Forest, and I think what underlined it was their legal argument yesterday around the ECHR and the fact that the asylum seekers trump the residents of Epping when it comes to their rights.”
Protestors demonstrate outside Bell Hotel following Court of Appeal ruling
16:33 , Bryony GoochProtesters have begun to gather outside the Bell Hotel in Epping after the Court of Appeal ruling.
A small number of demonstrators carrying England and Union flags have gathered outside the hotel, with police officers guarding its entrance – which is gated off with metal fencing.
An England flag has been attached to a drain pipe on the side of the Bell Hotel and England flags have also been painted onto signs and a speed camera outside the hotel.
The key events that led to the Epping asylum seeker injunction being overturned
16:24 , Bryony GoochThe key events that led to the Epping asylum seeker injunction being overturned
Leader of Epping Forest District Council calls for 'calm' in the wake of the ruling
16:00 , Tom WatlingChris Whitbread, the leader of Epping Forest District Council, said the Home Office victory over the asylum hotel in Epping is “really bad news”, but he called for calm in the wake of the ruling.
“I'm just very deeply disappointed and it's really bad news for the local residents of Epping”, he told Times Radio. “We saw yesterday the government say that asylum seekers have more rights than my residents. I'm really cross with this ruling.
“Obviously we'll now reflect on where we are. Obviously we're still going to court in October to go for a final injunction and we will be pushing hard to make sure that's successful, but we will do everything we can still.”
He added: “I call for calm. There's been peaceful protests and there's been non peaceful protests outside the hotel. You saw that as part of our case. But I just call for residents to be calm. As their district council, we will do everything we can do but we do need people to be calm.
“This is an awful position for the town, for the students who go back to school next week, and for the residents and businesses who have been disrupted during the protests and such. So yeah, I'm really concerned for the future of the town at the moment.”
Epping to continue fighting government after Court of Appeal ruling
15:57 , Tom WatlingEpping Forest District Council will “continue to fight” the Government after the Court of Appeal ruling, a councillor has said.
Holly Whitbread said the ruling was “deeply disappointing”, adding she felt “utterly let down and betrayed by the Government”.
Ms Whitbread, who is finance and economic development portfolio holder for Epping Forest District Council, told the PA news agency: “The council will continue to fight this.
“We’re looking at our legal options now and we will be going ahead, I presume, with the permanent injunction in the October trial, if that’s still possible.”
The Conservative councillor added: “The council has always been against the use of this hotel in this location.
“One of the key points that wasn’t made clear in the court case was the change to all-male asylum seekers within the hotel.
“I’m pretty furious at the Government’s action to intervene in what was a legal planning matter. And I think this news will be deeply disappointing to the residents of Epping Forest and, more broadly, across the UK as well.”
Labour 'using courts against the British public', Tories claim
15:49 , Tom WatlingShadow home secretary Chris Philp has accused the government of “using the courts against the British public”.
He added: “The government even brazenly said in court that the rights of illegal immigrants were more important than the rights of local people.”
He accused Labour of being “too weak” to take action over rising number of small boat crossings.
The home secretary had argued at the Court of Appeal that the Epping hotel injunction should not be allowed to stand because it would disrupt her statutory duty to house vulnerable asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.
The Court of Appeal operates independently from the Labour government.
The Epping case has seen the Labour Government using the courts against the British public
— Chris Philp MP (@CPhilpOfficial) August 29, 2025
The government even brazenly said in court that the rights of illegal immigrants were more important than the rights of local people
The numbers in asylum hotels were dropping fast…
Today's ruling 'disregards the impact on communities', Staffordshire Council Council says
15:41 , Tom WatlingStaffordshire County Council, which has previously threatened to bring similar legal action over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, has said today's ruling "disregards the impact on communities and services across our county and the country".
Ian Cooper, leader of the Reform-led council, added: “While the control and protection of our country’s borders is a national issue, we have made it clear to government that the ongoing use of hotels for the purpose of asylum is unacceptable and poses a risk to local communities as well as to those being housed in hotels.
“Community cohesion is a core priority for Staffordshire County Council and the continued use of these hotels threatens to undermine this goal.”
Farage blames ECHR for Epping ruling
15:35 , Tom WatlingNigel Farage has claimed the European Convention on Human Rights has been “used” by the Government “against the people of Epping”.
The Reform UK leader said: “The Government has used ECHR against the people of Epping. Illegal migrants have more rights than the British people under Starmer.”
He did not specify which part of the case he was referring to, and the Court of Appeal judge that overturned the temporary ban on housing asylum seekers in The Bell Hotel in Epping ruled that arguments about a “hierarchy of rights” were “unattractive”.
The Home Office’s lawyers had argued “the relevant public interests in play are not equal”, referring to Epping’s interest in enforcing planning control on the one hand, and the Home Secretary’s duty which comes from UK obligations under the ECHR on the other.
However, Friday’s ruling says: “Any argument in this particular context about a hierarchy of rights is in our view unattractive.”
The government has used ECHR against the people of Epping.
— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) August 29, 2025
Illegal migrants have more rights than the British people under Starmer.
Epping council vows to continue fight against use of The Bell hotel for asylum seekers
15:29 , Tom WatlingEpping Forest District Council have said their fight will continue after the Court of Appeal overturned an injunction banning asylum seekers from being housed at a hotel in the area.
In a statement issued following the ruling, the council said: “We are deeply disappointed by the outcome of today’s hearing.
“While Epping Forest has brought the wider asylum seeker debate into sharp national focus, the concern and motivation of Epping Forest District Council throughout has been the wellbeing of our local residents. Where we had clarity and resolution, we now have doubt and confusion.”
They added: “This is not the end of the matter. While the Court of Appeal has lifted the temporary injunction, the case for the final injunction is still to be heard. Our battle on behalf of our residents will continue. A few weeks from now we will be back in court where we trust the strength of our case will still prevail.”
They urged the government to “take responsibility for the events that have taken place in Epping over the past six weeks - for the trauma and disruption brought upon our community”.
Home Office minister defends appeal saying hotels must be closed in 'controlled and orderly way'
15:20 , Holly Bancroft, Social Affairs CorrespondentFollowing the Court of Appeal's decision, Dame Angela Eagle MP, Minister for Border Security and Asylum has said that the government “will close all hotels by the end of this parliament”.
She explained: “We appealed this judgment so hotels like the Bell can be exited in a controlled and orderly way that avoids the chaos of recent years that saw 400 hotels open at a cost of £9m a day.
“The number of hotels has almost halved since its peak in 2023 and we have brought down costs by 15 per cent saving £700m and putting us on track to save a billion pounds a year by 2028-29.”
She added that the department was “working hard to relieve pressure on the system” by tackling criminal gangs who facilitate small boat crossings.
Jenrick issues statement on Court of Appeal hearing
15:13 , Tom WatlingShadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, who attended protests outside The Bell Hotel, has issued a statement on the Court of Appeal ruling overturning the temporary ban on housing asylum seekers at the Epping establishment.
You can read it, in full, below.
This is an extremely disappointing decision.
— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) August 29, 2025
Yvette Cooper used taxpayer money - your money - to keep open a hotel housing illegal migrants.
The Government’s lawyers argued accommodating illegal migrants was in the “national interest”.
In court they said the right of illegal… https://t.co/2LKQkMYAjg
Home Office 'cutting local people out of the loop', says James Cleverly
15:02 , Tom WatlingResponding to today's Court of Appeal ruling, senior Conservative James Cleverly suggested that the Home Office was cutting local people out of the loop.
The shadow local government secretary said: “I’m sure that Yvette Cooper and the Home Office officials think this is good news. It really isn’t.
“Cutting local people and their elected representatives out of the loop isn’t a good look.”
Court of Appeal Judge: Protesters must not be ‘incentivised’
15:01 , Tom WatlingLord Justice Bean has ruled that protesters cannot be “incentivised” to demonstrate outside hotels housing asylum seekers, adding that the High Court’s injunction against The Bell Hotel risks doing exactly that.
He said the Epping residents’ fear of crime was properly taken into account by the High Court judge as a factor in favour of granting an injunction. He described it as being of limited weight.
But, he added: “We agree it is relevant, but in our view, it is clearly outweighed … by the undesirability of incentivising protests, by the desirability in the interests of justice of preserving status quo for the relatively brief period leading up to the forthcoming trial and by the range of public interest factors which we have discussed in our judgment.”
The Bell Hotel owners speak out after positive ruling
14:52 , Tom WatlingFollowing the Court of Appeal’s ruling, Lisa Foster of Richard Buxton Solicitors, which represents Somani Hotels, the owner of The Bell Hotel, said: “We are pleased that the Court of Appeal has ruled that the injunction should not have been granted by the High Court.
“Our clients realise that they have been caught in the middle of a much wider debate on the treatment of asylum seekers and respectfully ask that members of the public understand that the Bell Hotel has simply been providing a contracted service that the Government requires.
“We now ask that all associated with the Bell Hotel are left alone to continue to support the Government’s asylum plans as best they can.
“We are grateful to the Court of Appeal for appreciating the urgency of the matter from everyone’s point of view and dealing with the matter so swiftly.
“We have no further comment and will not be commenting on the matter again.”
Analysis: Definitive win for the Home Office
14:50 , Holly Bancroft, Social Affairs CorrespondentIn their judgement today, three Court of Appeal judges roundly dismissed a decision by the High Court to allow an injunction over an asylum hotel in Epping.
The Court of Appeal judges agreed with the Home Office that the closure of The Bell Hotel would have “obvious consequences” on the government's ability to house asylum seekers. They also agreed that a win for Epping council would “incentivise” others to follow suit.
Mr Justice Bean said High Court judge Mr Justice Eyre had “failed to have any adequate regard to the range of issues which would be likely to arise if the injunction were granted”.
“These include but were not limited to the significant practical challenge of relocating a large number of asylum seekers,” he explained.
Mr Justice Bean criticised the High Court for not allowing the home secretary to intervene in the case, saying Yvette Cooper “is plainly directly affected by the issues in this case”.
Kemi Badenoch urges other councils to 'keep going' with plans to bring legal action
14:46 , Millie Cooke, Political CorrespondentKemi Badenoch has urged other councils who are considering similar injunctions against asylum hotels to “keep going”, saying today’s ruling is a “setback but it is not the end”.
It comes after the Home Office won its appeal against a High Court ruling banning a hotel in Epping from housing asylum seekers.
Warning that “local communities should not pay the price for Labour’s total failure on illegal immigration”, the Tory leader said she would provide Conservative councillors with advice on today’s judgement in order to assist them with their own legal action.
“Every case has different circumstances, and I know good Conservative councils will keep fighting for residents, so we will keep working with them every step of the way”, she said.
“We will be writing to all Conservative councillors with further advice following this judgement and setting out our open offer to work with councils and communities to take action.
“We will also continue to work closely with Epping Council as they consider their next steps.”
You can read her full statement below.
My statement on the Epping migrant hotel injunction decision. pic.twitter.com/FjWYvLgHcO
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) August 29, 2025
Police outside The Bell Hotel after ruling
14:44 , Tom WatlingPolice have been pictured outside The Bell Hotel following a Court of Appeal ruling overturning a High Court order to ban, temporarily, the housing of asylum seekers at the Epping establishment.
Court of Appeal sides with Home Office concern about consequences of injunction
14:43 , Tom WatlingGiving a summary of their ruling, Lord Justice Bean, sitting with Lady Justice Nicola Davies and Lord Justice Cobb, concurred with concerns expressed by the Home Office that a temporary ban would set a dangerous precedent.
The judge said: “We conclude that the (High Court) judge made a number of errors in principle, which undermine this decision.”
He continued: “The judge’s approach ignores the obvious consequence that the closure of one site means capacity needs to be identified elsewhere in the system.”
He added that such an injunction “may incentivise” other councils to take similar steps as Epping Forest District Council.
He said: “The potential cumulative impact of such ad-hoc applications was a material consideration… that was not considered by the judge.”
Below is the core of the Court of Appeal's findings
14:37 , Tom WatlingQuashing the injunction, Lord Justice Bean, sitting with Lady Justice Nicola Davies and Lord Justice Cobb, said: “We grant permission to appeal, both to Somani and to (the Home Office).”
He continued: “We allow the appeals and we set aside the injunction imposed on 19 August 2025.”
What happens next after Home Office wins appeal?
14:35 , Tom WatlingNow that the Court of Appeal has ruled against the High Court’s decision to slap an interim injunction on The Bell Hotel banning them from housing asylum seekers, we discuss below what happens next.
The Home Office now has the right to challenge the injunction.
This will mean that the 138 asylum seekers at the Bell in Epping can stay there until at least the further hearing in October.
Home office wins it's case against the High Court
14:32 , Tom WatlingThe Home Office has won a court battle against an injunction stopping asylum seekers from being housed at a hotel in Epping.
The Court of Appeal has granted the Home Office permission to appeal the injunction and permission to intervene in the case. Mr Justice Bean said the High Court judge erred in his decision to grant Epping Forest District Council a temporary ban on The Bell Hotel housing asylum seekers.
Court of Appeal says High Court injunction failed to take into account impact of ruling
14:21 , Tom WatlingMr Justice Bean says that the High Court judge Mr Justice Eyre "failed to have any adequate regard to the range of issues which would be likely to arise if the injunction were granted.
“These include but were not limited to the significant practical challenge of relocating a large number of asylum seekers.”
He added that the Court of Appeal grants the home secretary permission to intervene in the case.
Mr Justice Bean said: “The home secretary is plainly directly affected by the issues in this case, and specifically by the grant or not of the judgement to restrain provision for asylum seekers at the hotel.”
Lord Justice Bean: This appeal is not concerned with the merits of government policy
14:15 , Tom WatlingLord Justice Bean has said that "this appeal is not concerned with the merits of government policy in relation to the provision of the accommodation for asylum seekers in hotels or otherwise".
He said that "the temporary injunction granted in this case was to last for only a relatively brief period until a trial of the council’s claim, in which a High court judge will consider the application for a permanent injunction". This is scheduled to happen in October this year.
Judges begin reading their judgment
14:04 , Tom WatlingThree senior judges have begun giving their judgment on whether to overturn a temporary injunction which is set to block asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.
Lord Justice Bean, sitting with Lady Justice Nicola Davies and Lord Justice Cobb, is reading a summary of their decision at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
Senior judges to rule on Epping hotel injunction
13:51 , Holly Bancroft, Social Affairs CorrespondentThree Court of Appeal judges are about to rule on whether an injunction banning asylum seekers from being housed at an Epping hotel will be overturned.
Lord Justice Bean, Lady Justice Nicola Davies and Lord Justice Cobb will be handing down their ruling at 2pm, following an appeal hearing on Thursday.
The Home Office and Somani Hotels Ltd appealed the High Court ruling, which ordered that asylum seekers be moved out of the hotel in Essex by 12 September.
In pictures: Protests in Epping
13:17 , Tom WatlingBelow you can see some pictures from a range of the protests in Epping, outside The Bell Hotel.
Home Office appeal against Epping asylum hotel ruling to be heard
12:46 , Tom Watling
Home Office appeal against Epping asylum hotel ruling to be heard
Musk weighs in on Epping hearing
12:15 , Tom WatlingTech billionaire Elon Musk has weighed in on the Epping hearing expected later today, predicting that “all of England” could descend into protests.
Retweeting a far-right, English-language Swedish media influencer who claimed that the Home Office’s challenging of the Epping injunction was evidence that the government was prioritising the rights of asylum seekers over locals, Musk wrote: “As goes Epping, so goes all of England.”
Musk has tweeted or retweeted at least four times in the past 24 hours about the situation in Epping. Sharing a tweet from Rupert Lowe MP, now an independent politician after being kicked out of Reform earlier this year, about Epping protests, Musk wrote: “A government against its people.”
As goes Epping, so goes all of England https://t.co/nHsY7Y6qWw
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 29, 2025
Analysis: Yvette Cooper is facing a lose-lose situation in Epping
11:44 , Millie Cooke, Political CorrespondentIf the Home Office is successful in its bid to keep the Bell Hotel open, that outcome would be marginally better for the government as it would prevent this process being repeated across the country and ultimately undermining the entire asylum system.
But it is far from a victory, as ministers will then be facing heavy criticism for Reform for successfully fighting a battle to keep a migrant hotel open - a terrible look for a government that promised to close them all down.
Nigel Farage is expected to hold a press conference on Monday, in which we will no doubt see him whip up furious reaction to the current state of affairs – no matter the outcome on Friday.
Epping migrant hotel resident told girl, 14, he wanted her to have his baby, court told
11:15 , Tom WatlingOne of the residents of the Bell Hotel in Epping, at the centre of today’s ruling, is on trial after being accused of sexually assaulting a teenager.
Much of the protests outside the Bell stemmed from anger towards this charge, though it was unrelated to the Epping legal challenge, which focused on issues with planning permission.
Below, you can read the latest on the residents’ trial.
Epping migrant hotel resident told girl he wanted her to have his baby, court told
What will happen following the Court of Appeal judgement today?
10:40 , Holly Bancroft, Social Affairs CorrespondentThree Court of Appeal judges are expected to issue a decision in the Home Office’s bid to overturn an injunction against the use of an asylum seeker hotel in Epping.
A High Court judge had given Epping Forest District Council an interim injunction against the hotel’s use, ordering that the 138 asylum seekers living at The Bell Hotel in Essex be moved out by 12 September.
The owners of the hotel, Somani Hotels Ltd, and the Home Office have sought to reverse that decision, and applied to the Court of Appeal for permission to challenge the ruling.
The Court of Appeal will today decide if they should be allowed to appeal the ban. If judges side with the Home Office, it is likely that they will overturn the order to move the asylum seekers out of The Bell Hotel - at least until the appeal case is heard later in the year.
If judges refuse the appeal then the injunction will stand and ministers will have to find a new home for the 138 asylum seekers living at the property.
Other councils have said they are considering their legal options in light of Epping council’s success at the High Court. If the Court of Appeal sides with Epping Forest then it is more likely similar challenges could be issued by other councils looking to close down asylum hotels in their area.
However each case will be specific to the local area and depend on the planning applications that have or have not been made by each of the hotel’s owners.
How many councils are pursuing or considering legal challenges?
10:08 , Tom WatlingWhile Epping Council has launched it’s legal challenge, many other councils are pursuing or considering their own arguments.
Below, we have a list of the 18 councils who have publicly said they are looking at legal options.
Pursuing legal actions:
- Epping (Conservative)
- Broxbourne (Conservative)
- West Northamptonshire (Reform)
- Stevenage (Labour)
- Tamworth (Labour)
- South Norfolk (Labour)
- Spelthorne (No overall control)
Councils considering legal action
- East Lindsey (No overall control)
- Wirral (Labour)
- Blackpool (Labour)
- Antrim and Newtownabbey (No overall control)
- Derby (Labour)
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (No overall control)
- Hillingdon (Conservative)
- Rushmoor (Labour)
- Falkirk (No overall control)
- Peterborough (No overall control)
- Reigate and Banstead (Conservative)
*There may be additional councils considering action, as the situation remains ongoing.
What was the High Court ruling to ban the use of the Bell hotel to house refugees?
09:38 , Tom WatlingAt the centre of today’s news is the High Court ruling from 19 August that granted a temporary injunction against The Bell Hotel in Essex from housing asylum seekers.
All 80 rooms in the hotel have been occupied by nearly 140 male asylum seekers since April, but the injunction ruling means they will all have to be moved out by the Home Office by 4pm on 12 September.
If that ruling is overturned today, the asylum seekers will be allowed to stay.
Epping Forest District Council issued their legal challenge against the Home Office and Somani Hotels, which runs the Bell, on 15 August, receiving a ruling four days later.
It followed weeks of unrest and intermittent violence in the area from angry protesters after one of the hotel’s inhabitants was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a teenage girl. He denies those charges.
Epping Council’s case, however, was unrelated to this. Their argument was that converting a functioning hotel into longer-term asylum accommodation was a “material change of use”, one that should have required planning permission.
Mr Justice Eyre, who ruled in their favour in the 11th hour despite pleas from the Home Office that such a finding would set a dangerous precedent, found that this failure outweighed the duty of the government to provide accommodation to people seeking asylum with no other way of supporting themselves.
If you want to read Mr Justice Eyre’s full decision, follow this link.
Immediate closure of asylum hotels would be a disaster, says government
09:16 , Tom WatlingThe immediate closure of asylum hotels could lead to migrants “living destitute in the streets”, a Government minister said, as he warned against a “disorderly discharge”.
The Labour government, led by the Home Office, are adamant that any ruling in favour of immediately banning the use of hotels to house asylum seekers could set a dangerous precedent, and that the ending of this practice should be done gradually, as planned.
Health minister Stephen Kinnock told Sky News: “What we don’t want to have is a disorderly discharge from every hotel in the country, which would actually have far worse consequences than what we currently have, in terms of the impact that would have on asylum seekers potentially living destitute in the streets.”
Pressed on where the migrants would be moved to if The Bell Hotel in Epping were to close, Mr Kinnock said: “We’ve got a whole range of options – disused warehouses, disused office blocks, disused military barracks.”
But he added that efforts to find a solution would be much “more effective” if they are able to manage the closure of hotels slowly.
Court of Appeal to rule on Epping asylum seeker injunction challenge
09:10 , Tom WatlingRead our piece below on all the latest on the Court of Appeal ruling due later today.
Court of Appeal to rule on Epping asylum seeker injunction challenge
Good morning
09:09 , Tom WatlingGood morning.
This afternoon, senior judges will rule on the High Court injunction granted to Epping Council to block asylum seekers from being housed in the Bell Hotel.
The result will have far-reaching implications for the country, with many councils seeking legal advice on whether to mount their own challenges against the use of hotels in their areas to house asylum seekers.
We’ll be bringing you updates as we head towards the ruling, expected at 2pm, and all the reaction thereafter.
