Epping Forest District Council has been refused permission to appeal a Court of Appeal ruling that allowed the Bell Hotel in Essex to continue housing asylum seekers.
In a statement on its website, the council said: “No reasons were given. It is now open for the council to ask the Supreme Court itself for permission to appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal.”
The case has been the subject of political and public controversy since July, when an asylum seeker housed at the Bell Hotel was charged with the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. His trial began last week and is expected to conclude later this week.
Council leader Chris Whitbread called the Court of Appeal’s decision “wrong”, accusing judges of prioritising “the secretary of state’s duties towards asylum seekers above those of the council to uphold the planning system”.
He added: “This is not the end of the matter. We consider we have a strong case for a final injunction. The council is keeping all our options open, including seeking permission from the Supreme Court to appeal.”
Whitbread also appealed to demonstrators who have regularly gathered outside the Bell Hotel since mid-July to remain “considerate and calm” as protests continue into the new school term.