Mayor begins High Court fight with Home Secretary over Bibby Stockholm barge

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A local councillor has begun a High Court fight with Home Secretary Suella Braverman over the housing of asylum seekers on a barge.

Carralyn Parkes wants a judge to conclude that she has an “arguable case” and give her the go-ahead to challenge the lawfulness of the use of the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland Harbour, Dorset.

Mrs Parkes, a member of Portland Town Council and the Mayor of Portland, says she is “deeply concerned” by the Government’s “planned accommodation” on the Bibby Stockholm.

Lawyers representing Ms Braverman say Mrs Parkes’ challenge should be dismissed.

Mr Justice Holgate is considering arguments at a High Court hearing in London, expected to last a day.

“She is deeply concerned by the planned accommodation of around 500 asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge by the (Home Secretary), especially by the fact that the (Home Secretary) proceeded on the basis that she did not require planning permission and without any adequate consultation with the local community,” Alex Goodman KC, who is leading Mrs Parkes’ legal team, told the judge, in a written case outline, on Tuesday.

“The public importance of the claim is self-evident.”

Mr Goodman said Mrs Parkes argued that the housing of asylum seekers on the barge was a “breach of planning control” and that there had not been “compliance” with environmental impact assessment duties.

He said she had an “arguable case”.

Paul Brown KC, who is leading Ms Braverman’s legal team, said the challenge was made to a decision, taken in April, to house “destitute asylum seekers on a specially adapted” barge “temporarily moored” in Portland Port.

He argued that Mrs Parkes’ claim was “out of time”, “without merit” and said the judge should refuse to give permission for the challenge to proceed to a trial.

Mrs Parkes is also arguing that Ms Braverman has not complied with duties under the 2010 Equality Act.

Mr Goodman said “segregating non-British people” raised links to “racial segregation” that was “so obnoxious”.

He said it was something “obviously required to be considered” in relation to a “public sector equality duty”.

Government lawyers said the local planning authority did not think planning permission was required.

They also argued that there was no “general principle” that housing “non-British asylum seekers” together on a vessel was “unlawful” under a public sector equality duty.