Councillors at Epping Forest pass motions calling for end to asylum hotels in rural areas and small towns

The motion called for the immediate and permanent closure of the two hotels n Epping being used as asylum seeker accommodation and urged the Home Office and relevant Government Ministers to:

1. cease the use of unsuitable hotels in small towns and rural areas for asylum processing;
2. properly consult with local authorities before placing individuals in their area; and
3. take urgent action to prevent further risks to public safety and rising community tensions.

Councillors passed the motion in a unanimous vote during a council meeting on Thursday (24 July).

The call comes after a number of alleged crimes in Epping centred around the hotels.

Protests later took place in the town, which were met with a large police response.

The motion read: "This Council notes with deep concern the continued use of the Bell Hotel in Epping and the Phoenix Hotel in Bobbingworth as accommodation for asylum seekers by the Home Office.

"These hotels, situated just 2.5 miles apart, have been at the centre of multiple serious incidents in recent weeks", the motion added.

It listed two incidents, including the arrest and charging of an individual for the sexual assault of a girl and the arrest of another individual for arson.

Repeated warnings to the Home Office about the unsuitability of the hotels have gone "unheeded", according to the motion.

It also said that placing vulnerable individuals in the heart of a small town and a rural village – without appropriate supervision, infrastructure, or support services – "is both irresponsible and dangerous".

The motion also expressed "grave concern" about the lack of information on who is being housed in the hotels, public safety, and rising tensions in the community "exacerbated by the historical presence of far-right groups in the area".

Speaking during the meeting, council leader Chris Whitbread said the local authority is speaking to the Home Office on a regular basis, but claimed that they are not being "overly cooperative".

"We are considering further options that may be available to us to bring this situation to a satisfactory conclusion," he said.

In a video shown during the council meeting, Assistant Chief Constable at Essex Police, Stuart Hooper, said policing the incident had been a "challenge", adding that the force had to call in help from neighbouring forces to restore order.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "People rightly want to see a robust and effective asylum system, and we have a duty to support people who would otherwise be destitute and sleeping rough while their case is decided.

"Any hotel that remains open is carefully managed with dedicated security and monitoring arrangements. 

"We'll continue to work closely with local police and community partners, in Epping and across the country, as we fix this broken system."

It also noted that the number of hotels being used to house asylum seekers had fallen from 400 in 2023 to less than 210.

The programme costs have reduced from £8.3m per day last year to £5.77m a day, the Home Office added.

Adam Carey