High court rejects asylum hotel interim injunction call from Welsh council
The High Court has rejected an interim injunction application from Carmarthenshire County Council, which sought to block the Home Office from placing asylum seekers in a local hotel on grounds that claimed the decision breached planning law.
The Welsh council said it was disappointed in the decision, noting that it plans to consider the reasons for the decision taken by Deputy High Court Judge Mansfield KC ahead of a permanent injunction hearing.
Carmarthenshire had been pleading with the Home Office to abandon plans to accommodate asylum seekers in the hotel in Llanelli, but the council received confirmation that around 200 people would be moved in at the beginning of this month.
The council then lodged its legal challenge, which centred on a claim that the use of the hotel amounted to a material change of use without planning permission.
Commenting on the failed interim injunction application, Cllr Darren Price, Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, said: "We are disappointed with the court's decision today, however I have no regrets in bringing this case to court, as we owed this to the residents and businesses of Llanelli, the community of Ffwrnes and the staff at the Stradey Park Hotel to take every step possible.
"That having been said, the council needs to consider fully the reasons given by the Judge on Monday and, in the context of its application for a permanent injunction, further comment on the litigation would not be appropriate at this stage."
Cllr Price added that the council remains of the view that the Government needs to review its policy on the use of hotels in accommodating asylum seekers, alleging that the current approach is not working.
A series of councils have sought injunctions on similar planning grounds in attempts to block the placement of asylum seekers in local hotels, but the vast majority have been unsuccessful.
However, in May of this year, the High Court did issue a final injunction order preventing Home Office contractors from seeking to use any hotels to house asylum seekers within a key tourist district in Great Yarmouth.
In this case, Holgate J agreed with the council's argument that using the hotels for asylum seekers would undermine a specific policy in the council's local plan, which pledges to encourage tourism in the area.
Adam Carey
