Tension in Scampton as migrant portable buildings arrive at Essex airfield

A convoy of lorries carrying portable buildings, presumed for use at Wethersfield Airfield in Essex, were spotted on Thursday.

The Home Office intends to use this location to house up to 1,700 migrants in a similar fashion to RAF Scampton.

However, the lorries encountered difficulty at a narrow pass in Sible Hedingham, resulting in a delay of about five hours.

Coun Roger Patterson, West Lindsey Council Conservative member for Scampton, believes such buildings may start arriving in Lincolnshire soon.

He said: “They are going to have to turn up sometime if they want to start housing people there. I’m expecting the cabins to come, but I still think it’s premature until we win our court case.”

The Government plans to house up to 2,000 asylum seekers at RAF Scampton and anticipates processing about 5,000 individuals in the first year of its operation.

The council is continuing to fight plans for the migrant centre at the former home of the Dambusters, with a High Court hearing scheduled for July 12 and 13,

If the legal challenges prove unsuccessful, the first group of about 200 single men, predominantly from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran, is expected to arrive by mid-August.

Should the High Court grant the council permission to apply for a judicial review, the case will then proceed to a final hearing.

This final judicial review will ultimately determine whether the plans to establish a migrant camp at the historic site can proceed.