Delta Marriott Cheshunt: Broxbourne Council announces plans to copy Epping and block asylum seekers - as it 'opposed from outset'
Broxbourne Council has announced plans to follow in the footsteps of Epping and block asylum seekers living at the Delta Marriott hotel.
A High Court ruling yesterday saw Epping Forest council defeat the Home Office and get permission to shut down a migrant hotel, called The Bell Hotel, on the grounds of a breach of planning law. Already, a number of other councils across Britain have signalled their intention to pursue the same legal challenge.
Broxbourne council in Hertfordshire was first out of the gates, announcing its intentions to try and also secure the ability to forcibly close migrant hotels. Just 15 minutes after finding out about the High Court’s ruling in Epping’s favour, Broxbourne council said: "[We] will now take legal advice as a matter of urgency about whether it could take similar action."
It added: “The Council has opposed the use of the Delta Marriott for this purpose from the outset, but was advised that action was unlikely to be successful at that time. Broxbourne Council continues to consider the use of the Delta Marriott for the accommodation of asylum seekers to be inappropriate and will now consider as a priority the best way forward.”
Broxbourne Councillor, Steve Wortley, said on X: “This is about protecting our community here in Broxbourne. Hotels should be for visitors, for jobs, and for local prosperity — not used as a sticking plaster for a failing national immigration policy. Residents here in Broxbourne have been clear that they do not want migrant hotels in the borough.
“The Council has acted decisively to protect our towns, our services, and our local democracy”. The council has also demanded reassurance that no migrants from the hotel set to close in Epping will be moved to their hotels.
Reform UK’s deputy Richard Tice said all 12 of his party’s councils would be “instructing legal departments to pursue all legal avenues after this ruling”. Speaking on Times Radio Mr Tice said his party would “absolutely” be pursuing the same action as Epping Forest.
He said: “Our council leaders will be instructing legal departments to pursue all legal avenues after this ruling, which is very significant because it's a temporary junction based on the fact that there has been a material change in use of the building from a hotel.
“And that's the temporary injunction. So all the Reform councils will be pursuing this.”