Council launches legal challenge for asylum plans at RAF Scampton

​As previously reported, West Lindsey District Council does not consider the site to be appropriate for asylum seekers and remains concerned the proposals would cause ‘irretrievable damage’ to the plans to deliver a £300 million regeneration programme and put world-renowned aviation heritage at risk.

A spokesman for the authority says the Home Office has failed to provide a satisfactory response to questions raised by the council, which has now led them to begin legal action to challenge the Home Office’s decision.

West Lindsey’s director of planning, regeneration and communities, Sally Grindrod-Smith, said: “Despite ongoing attempts by the council to set out to the Home Office the irretrievable damage that would be caused to the once-in-a-generation investment opportunity that is on the table, the Home Secretary has taken the decision to utilise RAF Scampton as a site for asylum accommodation.

“The council considers that the decision is irrational and moreover the Home Office does not have the appropriate planning permission for the intended use.

“The council has therefore issued a letter before action, sent in accordance with the Pre-Action Protocol for Judicial Review, which requires the Home Secretary to respond by no later than 4pm on Thursday, 6, April 2023.”

The move by the council comes after weeks of speculation and ‘not knowing’ which way the Home Office would go on this matter, putting its ground-breaking deal with Scampton Holdings Ltd for a £300 million investment in jeopardy after years of planning.

Since the announcement, the government has published a frequently asked questions document about Scampton asylum accommodation plan on its website.

This shows the site is to used to accommodate single adult male asylum seekers, using a phased approach to move people on site, starting with around.200 people and increasing to 2,000 people over time.

The site would be self-contained, although those living there would be free to come and go.

However, the council says some of the details remain unclear and it will continue to work with the Home Office, and multi-agency partners to highlight what it considers to be a significant number of barriers to mobilising the site for asylum use. This includes, they say, significant contamination from previous site uses that requires thorough remediation before the site would be suitable for any sensitive use such as housing asylumseekers in temporary structures.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Delivering accommodation on surplus military sites will provide cheaper, suitable accommodation for those arriving in small boats whilst helping to reduce the use of hotels.

“These accommodation sites will house asylum seekers in basic, safe and secure accommodation as they await a decision on their claim.

“We understand the concerns of local communities and will work closely with councils and key partners to manage the impact of using these sites, including liaising with local police to make sure appropriate arrangements are in place.”

Ms Grindrod-Smith added: “The council is acutely aware of the concern caused by the proposal and the potential loss of much-needed ‘levelling up’ investment.

"We will continue to press the Home Office to engage directly with our community to fully understand the concerns being raised.”

“The council continues to work with the Home Office on the national Asylum Seeker Full Dispersal Model, and whilst it maintains that Scampton is not a safe or appropriate site for asylum use, it is committed to playing its part in tackling the challenges that the country is currently facing.”