Holly Whitbread: Epping shows Conservative councils how to fight back

Cllr Holly Whitbread is an Epping Forest District councillor and the Cabinet Member, Housing & Community.

At the High Court yesterday, Epping Forest District Council secured a major victory. The court granted an interim injunction preventing the Bell Hotel in Epping from being used to house asylum seekers, and the defendant was denied leave to appeal.   

Conservative-led Epping Forest District Council committed to using every democratic, diplomatic, and legal lever available – and we delivered. What sets this case apart is that we took a different approach, taking legal action directly against the owners of the hotel for breaches of planning law. 

While the likes of Reform made noise and sought to cause tension, we took real action by working with our hard-working council officers and legal team to achieve results for our community. Peaceful protest is one way to call for change, but sustained, careful work behind the scenes delivered a tangible outcome.  

In 14 days, the hotel must close. If the owners wish to continue using it, they will have to seek planning permission. As the local ward member, I will strongly oppose any such application and hope all my fellow councillors will agree – but more widely we need to see an end to the asylum hotels policy, which is costly to taxpayers and communities.  

Epping is my home, and I speak to people in the town every day, so I understand how strongly residents feel. The majority want the hotel closed and have safety concerns about the undocumented males living there, but many are uneasy about the disruption from protests, particularly when they became aggressive at the start.  

I have personally chosen not to attend the protests, despite strongly supporting the message to ‘close the hotel’. I stand by my decision, despite the criticism. I believe in the freedom to protest and fully support genuine residents who demonstrate peacefully. However, it has been disappointing to see the extreme left and right attempt to hijack the legitimate concerns of local people. 

In recent weeks, Reform UK has knowingly courted extremists, including former BNP councillors, sowing division and undermining the unified local message. They should consider their standards if they wish to be taken seriously as a party, or is it victory at any cost? People see through this, and decency will win in the end. 

The council has for years opposed the use of the Bell Hotel for asylum processing. Since it reopened earlier this year as an all-male facility, we pursued every democratic lever to secure its closure, including submitting a motion to full council, launching a petition, and writing to the Home Secretary. 

The Government treated our community with contempt; reopening the hotel without consultation and placing an unfair burden on a district that already hosts two hotels for asylum seekers. Our concerns were repeatedly ignored, even after an alleged sexual assault on a schoolgirl by a hotel resident and an arson incident. 

The Government’s contempt for our community was only further demonstrated yesterday when they unsuccessfully attempted to intervene at the High Court. Epping has become the epicentre for the national debate on illegal immigration. The council opposed the use of the Bell Hotel long before protests started; the Government ignored the town, the council, and local residents. The consequences were predictable: strain on local services, disruption in the town centre, and heightened tensions in a peaceful community. 

The actions of Epping Forest District Council are not nimbyism. They are about protecting public services, community cohesion, and local democracy. The Government failed to listen, and the law exists to protect a nation’s citizens. This is a victory for all and the start of the end of the use of asylum hotels. Communities like mine should not face the consequences while Westminster fails to act. Conservative councils across the country should take note: review planning rules, stand up for residents, and use the legal tools available. That is what strong local leadership looks like.  

Yesterday was a victory for all Epping residents, who want a return to normality, safety on local streets, and hope for the future. It is also a victory for councils across the country that want to challenge the use of asylum hotels in the areas they were elected to represent. It is up to the Labour Government to get a grip on the illegal immigration crisis and deliver on its promises. Councils cannot solve this national issue, but we can, and we will, stand up and fight for our communities.