Judge tells council trying to stop asylumseekers going to hotel in Yorkshire 'they have to go somewhere'

East Riding Council and Ipswich Borough Council made a joint application for further temporary injunctions at the High Court on Tuesday to prevent asylumseekers from arriving at hotels at North Ferriby, in East Yorkshire and in Ipswich town centre.

Almost 40,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel so far this year. The court case came as the Government was close to sealing an £80m agreement with France seeking curb crossings, which could see Border Force officers stationed in French control rooms for the first time.The Novotel hotel in the centre of Ipswich is currently housing about 70 migrants. Single adult males are due to be accomodated in 77 rooms at the Humber View Hotel, around a mile from the village of North Ferriby.

Both hotels could be used for up to 12 months or longer.Geffin Thomas, representing the councils, said the decision to use the Humber View Hotel had come as a surprise to local officials.

He claimed the defendants were turning a "blind eye to planning requirements". The councils argue that it amounts to a change of use of the hotels which requires planning permission.Mr Thomas said there was a "potential strain on statutory services in the East Riding" where "GP services (are) already being stretched".

The location of Humber View Hotel was regarded as "unsuitable" because of the A63 close by and risks to pedestrians on the busy unlit road by the hotel.

However Mr Justice Holgate said there was no proposed change to the building, nor was it a case of causing environmental harm and asylumseekers "have to be accommodated somewhere."

He said: "The effect of an injunction could be just to displace a problem elsewhere." Mr Thomas responded: "It's a problem of the Home Office's making."

But the Judge retorted: "But it’s also a problem the court is faced with, is it something I simply disregard?"

The court heard that Serco currently places asylumseekers in 84 other hotels across the UK. They are supposed to only be at the hotels for three weeks.Barristers, representing Humber View managers LGH Hotels, housing group Mears and three other companies, questioned the degree of harm caused by the asylumseekers.Paul Brown KC said there were "unprecedented" levels of asylumseekers arriving at the detention centre at Manston and the authorities were moving "heaven and earth" to get the numbers down to around 1,500.Mr Brown said last week Serco was required to find places for 850 people, and in the week to Tuesday, 950."These are no small numbers," he said. He said the asylumseekers were being impacted by the lack of space and moving the single young men from Manston elsewhere would help relieve the pressure.The High Court hearing comes after it dismissed a bid from Stoke on Trent City Council to stop a hotel being used there. also under planning laws.

But the court separately ruled an interim injunction could be granted to Great Yarmouth Borough Council to stop a hotel from being used there.

The Judge reserved judgement.