High Court bans use of Great Yarmouth hotels for asylum seekers

A granting of a final injunction order follows a temporary ban preventing migrants from being placed in town hotels under a Home Office scheme.

In September, it was revealed dozens of asylum seekers had been or were to be housed at Hotel Victoria, on King's Road just off the seafront.

Asylum seekers had been housed at the Hotel Victoria on King's Road as part of a Home Office scheme. Picture - Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

Two other sites, the Villa Rose Hotel, on Prince's Road, and the Embassy Hotel, on Camperdown, were also lined up to take more due to large numbers of asylum seekers arriving in the UK by boat.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council strongly criticised the scheme, arguing that seafront hotels were covered by the Local Plan, and should not be used as that constituted a change of planning use from hotels to hostels.

The council said it used its full suite of planning enforcement tools to ensure the issue did not occur but ultimately turned to the courts to ask for a planning injunction.

The Villa Rose on Prince's Road was pencilled in to receive asylum seekers. Picture - Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

A similar legal case taken to stop asylum seekers from being housed at the Rose and Crown in Wisbech had failed to secure a temporary injunction.

However, in Great Yarmouth, a temporary ban on housing asylum seekers in hotels in November was granted.

One month later, the High Court granted an ongoing injunction to block the use of 59 hotels on or near the seafront to house asylum seekers - a move described as a "victory for common sense" by Great Yarmouth MP Brandon Lewis.

The Royal Courts of Justice in London. Picture - PA Wire (Image: PA Wire)

At the latest hearing at the High Court Judge Justice Holgate issued a Final Injunction Order which prevents Serco, Amayo Properties Ltd and H & H North Ltd from seeking to use any hotels to house asylum seekers within an area – known as 'GY6' - designated in the borough’s Local Plan as containing key tourist accommodation.

The council’s Local Plan contains a strategy for protecting and enhancing an area formally designated as ’the seafront‘ in the town.

There has been, and continues to be, a long-term strategy to protect and enhance tourism and the facilities - including its 59 hotels - in that location.

Justice Holgate recognised this when he acknowledged: "GY6 is a highly specific, protective policy directed to a large and highly important sector of the borough's economy."

The yellow section by the seafront is the planning zone affected by the temporary injunction. Picture - GYBC (Image: GYBC)

The council said it has a long history of protecting the area and brought the judge’s attention to an enforcement notice it had served for a similar breach 17 years earlier.

A council spokesperson said: "Our town has a long and proud history of welcoming and supporting people from all over the world.

"We continue to help support asylum seekers placed in the town who have no control over where they are accommodated.

"However, we have a responsibility to enforce planning laws and make sure residents and businesses all play by the same rules and are protected from unauthorised and inappropriate use of local properties.

"Tourism, and the economic benefits it affords the town, are crucial and it was essential we took this action to protect the sector and those it supports.

"The council argued its case on planning grounds and this verdict demonstrates the importance of having an up-to date-plan and a very clear planning policy to support our actions."

The Embassy Hotel on Camperdown. Picture - Google (Image: Google)

A Serco spokesperson said the hotels were only used as a last resort.

"With the significant increases in the number of people arriving in the UK we have been faced with no alternative but to temporarily accommodate some asylum seekers in hotels," the spokesperson said.

"The Serco team is working extremely hard to move people into dispersed social housing as rapidly as possible.”

Great Yarmouth MP Brandon Lewis at the Town Hall. Picture - James Weeds (Image: James Weeds)

At the latest court hearing, the judge ordered the three defendants to pay costs of between £12,000 and £14,000 each.

The bid by Serco to house asylum seekers in more Yarmouth hotels had been resisted by Mr Lewis.

In December, he said it had taken "brave leadership" by the borough council and its leader Carl Smith to pursue the legal action.

Great Yarmouth Borough councillor Carl Smith was praised for pursuing legal action. Picture - Newsquest (Image: Archant)