Epping Councillor Holly Whitbread has launched a blistering attack on the Government's silence its migrant hotel, claiming they are "not listening" to the concerns of residents.
Speaking to GB News, Whitbread said the lack of communication from Labour is "frustrating", despite continued pressure from the local authorities to close the hotel.
On Thursday, more protests took place outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, in demonstration against the accommodation for asylum seekers remaining open.
Hitting out at the decision of the Government to keep the hotel open despite local unrest, the representative for Epping and Theydon Boys said they are "continuing to ignore concerns" of residents.
GB News / PA
|Epping councillor Holly Whitbread has hit out at Government silence over the Epping migrant hotel
Whitbread told the People's Channel: "We had modest protest last night, thankfully not the violent side that we have seen in previous weeks, but we still have heard absolutely nothing from the Home Office.
"The leader of the council, the local MPs and the Police and Crime commissioner have now come together to put more pressure, write a letter together and ask again for the meeting."
Highlighting the "frustration" of the situation, Whitbread added: "It's incredibly frustrating because despite calls at the council meeting unanimously last week, from Labour councillors to Lib Dem, Greens and independents as well as the Conservatives, we were calling for that hotel to close across the board and the Home Office is just continuing to ignore our concerns."
Detailing the previous response they've had from the Government, Whitbread said Labour are using the "same line" over and over again when asked to close the hotel.
PA
|Protesters took to the streets of Epping on Thursday in their continued demonstration against the hotel
Whitbread explained: "They occasionally share information. There was a rumour that the asylum seekers in The Bell had moved elsewhere, that wasn't the case, so they corrected that rumour.
"But in terms of when we asked for the hotel to close, they keep repeating the Government line that the hotels will close within the course of this parliament. But that's four years, it's just not good enough. And whilst we keep pushing back, the Home Office just don't seem to want to have a conversation."
Asked by host Dawn Neesom if there was any consultation process to open the hotel to migrants in the first place, Whitbread revealed that the council was "told, not consulted" about the decision.
She stated: "The council were told, not consulted, and we gave a very strong objection. This hotel was previously opened during the pandemic, we pushed for its closure, then it finally closed last year, only to be reopened by the Labour Government earlier this year. So we were very frustrated.
GB News
|Whitbread told GB News that Epping locals are 'right to be concerned' about the migrant hotel
"Personally I don't agree with the use of asylum hotels, but it's broader than that. It's very close to a local school, it's in a completely inappropriate location, and actually, worst of all, the people in this hotel are all males. We have no idea who they are."
Defending the concerns of Epping locals, Whitbread concluded that residents feel "attacked" and oppose their "taxpayer money" being used on the hotel.
She told GB News: "Epping is a very welcoming community. We're a diverse community, but obviously when 80 to 100 people have been dropped in our community and we have no idea who they are, and then there's two incidents like we've seen, people are right to be concerned.
"It doesn't matter where those people come from, if you don't know who's living around you, it's going to cause concern. And I think particularly in the nature that some of these people entered the country, which is illegally on boats, people are angry, they feel attacked. Their taxpayer money is being used for a hotel like this, and it's just not right, and it's not fair."