Following the High Court interim injunction that was granted to Epping District Council on Tuesday 19 August, to restrain the use of a hotel for housing asylum seekers, Bracknell Forest Council has issued the following statement:
Cllr Mary Temperton, Leader of the council, said:
“We have been following the Epping case very carefully and have taken a full and thorough review of what it means for us locally, both in terms of planning and legal implications.
“Firstly, we’d like to make it clear that Bracknell Forest does not have any migrant hotels in the borough housing asylum seekers. We have transition accommodation run by the MOD that is currently home to 194 Afghan people in family groups - they have indefinite leave to remain, so are not asylum seekers, refugees or illegal immigrants.
“Therefore, we will not be seeking an injunction to prevent use as a migrant hotel in Bracknell Forest as we do not have a migrant hotel in the borough.
“Before any of the new families moved to the borough, we thoroughly reviewed the existing planning permission. As it is transitional accommodation, not permanent accommodation, for people with indefinite leave to remain, that review found that no change to planning use was needed.
“In light of the High Court interim injunction yesterday, we have carried out a further review and legal advice remains that no change to planning use is needed for the hotel.”
