Conservatives call on county council to oppose possible use of Lincolnshire’s military sites to accommodate asylum seekers

The motion highlights that previous plans by the last Conservative government to use RAF Scampton were scrapped by the new Labour government after spiralling costs, serious safety concerns, and overwhelming opposition from residents, district councils, and local MPs.

In August, it was revealed the failed attempt had cost the Home Office at least £48m.

Scampton is now the focus of a major regeneration project. The former home of the Dambusters and the Red Arrows closed as an operational base in 2022. It is earmarked for a £300m heritage-led regeneration scheme, creating thousands of jobs and preserving aviation heritage.

The motion also names other sites at risk, including the mothballed RAF Woodhall Spa and the Prince William of Gloucester Barracks in Grantham earmarked for disposal under MOD estate rationalisation.. The Conservative group says many of these locations are in rural areas, far from schools, hospitals, and transport links, making them wholly unsuitable for large-scale accommodation.

Coun Richard Davies, Leader of the Opposition and proposer of the motion, said: “Lincolnshire should not be a dumping ground for poorly thought-through national policies.

“Sites like Scampton represent huge opportunities for growth and investment — not holding camps for asylum seekers. Our rural communities simply do not have the services or infrastructure to cope, and local residents should not be left to pick up the strain.

“Reform UK nationally says asylum seekers should be put on military bases. Yet here in Lincolnshire, they know it would devastate regeneration and pile pressure on local services. This motion calls on them to choose: stand up for Lincolnshire, or stand with their party’s national policy.”

The Conservative motion, seconded by Coun Tom Dyer, urges the County Council to:

• Publicly oppose any such proposals in Greater Lincolnshire.

• Work with district councils, MPs and local communities to present a united case against them.

• Lobby ministers to protect regeneration opportunities, including the multi-million-pound plans for Scampton.

• Press Government to focus instead on safe and legal asylum routes and reduce reliance on unsuitable large-scale facilities.

Coun Dyer added: “Lincolnshire is already playing its part in meeting national priorities. What we need now is long-term investment in jobs, growth and regeneration, not short-term solutions that undermine our communities.”

The motion will be debated at the Full Council meeting on Friday September 12.

Coun Sean Matthews, leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: “I’m pleased to see that right across the political spectrum here in Lincolnshire we can agree that housing asylum seekers at RAF Scampton is a bad idea. And we’ll continue to work together to ensure more public money isn’t thrown at this ludicrous idea.

“Worryingly, the current government is seemingly putting the option of using RAF Scampton back on the table, despite what they have said previously. The armed forces minister, Luke Pollard, told the BBC earlier this week that they are reviewing all MOD land for housing asylum seekers, and refused to rule out Scampton. This potentially jeopardises the site’s development plans once again. It now falls upon the MP for Lincoln, Hamish Falconer, to confirm his party’s intentions for the site.

“We have said nationally that a Reform UK government would look at using former military bases in isolated locations as temporary asylum seeker accommodation, if needed. RAF Scampton is not in an isolated location. And I have spoken with MP Richard Tice, who agrees that the national party would have no such plans for Scampton.”

Luke Pollard, minister of state at the Ministry of Defence, told the BBC this week that "every site" would be considered including those "visited by the Home Office in the past" to stop the use of hotels.

Mr Pollard said the government was looking at "both military and non-military sites" to provide temporary accommodation.