Scampton shop closes following Home Office migrant camp announcement

The Costcutter store, on Pollyplatt Lane, reportedly shut on Friday, March 31, meaning villagers will have to travel at least three miles to get to the nearest shop in Welton.

A sign displayed on the door reads: “Our contract to run the Costcutter store at RAF Scampton has now come to an end, therefore this store is now closed.

“We are very sorry for any inconvenience.”

It is believed staff were given little to no notice, as officials from the Ministry of Defence, the building owners, arrived at the site and “closed it there and then”.

They have since been spotted emptying stock from the premises.

Still in shock, Coun Roger Patterson, West Lindsey Council member for Scampton, who lives in the village, said: “Before this, nobody said anything about it closing – it just happened.

“They didn’t even tell the staff, which is what’s really grating people.”

Even though it took place a mere two days after the Home Office announced up to 2,000 migrants would be housed at RAF Scampton, the MoD insists the shop’s contract has come to an end due to a lack of business.

A spokesperson told The Lincolnite: “The contract for running the shop ended due to a decrease in income and not as a result of the Home Office’s intended use for RAF Scampton.”

Noticeable changes can already be seen at the former base as signage around the site has been taken down and a monument to Lincolnshire’s Red Arrows has also been removed.

Residents say they are outraged as the plans have thrown a spanner into the gears of an ambitious £300 million heritage, tourism and enterprise project which promised them thousands of highly-skilled jobs.

Leaders labelled it a “landmark deal”, but there are now concerns over whether it will happen at all.