Overview

• The Court of Appeal on Friday overturned a High Court order that would have cleared the Bell Hotel by 12 September, keeping about 130 residents in place.
• At least 13 councils are preparing legal or enforcement actions despite the ruling, with Epping Forest saying it may seek a Supreme Court appeal and Broxbourne and Spelthorne pursuing planning enforcement.
• Police reported three arrests and two officers with minor injuries during protests outside the Bell Hotel on Friday, following weeks of demonstrations that have included far-right involvement.
• A full hearing on the Bell Hotel planning dispute is scheduled for October, setting the next legal test for the site's use as asylum accommodation.
• Ministers say the appeal allows a controlled wind‑down of hotel use and restate a pledge to close all hotels by 2029, as political pressure grows with Lord Falconer urging faster action and Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch criticizing the government’s approach.