Overview

• The ruling allows about 138 people to remain at the Bell Hotel past 12 September, with a full planning hearing scheduled for October.
• The Court of Appeal said the High Court made errors of principle, including weighing disorder at demonstrations and underestimating the government’s duty to provide accommodation.
• Essex Police charged two men after Friday night’s protest in Epping, with a third suspect still in custody, and officers maintained a visible presence as demonstrations continued locally and at other hotel sites.
• At least 13 councils are preparing or considering planning-based action over asylum hotels, and Epping Forest District Council will decide Monday whether to seek a Supreme Court appeal.
• The Home Office says hotels will be exited by the end of the parliament in a controlled way, while political reactions split, with senior Conservatives and Reform UK attacking the decision and Labour’s Charlie Falconer urging faster closure of hotel use.