Council loses court bid to block asylum seekers plan for Essex base

MDP Wethersfield in Essex is located about 10 miles from the nearest big town of Braintree

A council has lost its High Court bid to block government plans to house asylum seekers at a former RAF base.

The Home Office wants to house 1,700 adult male migrants at MDP Wethersfield in rural Essex, making it the UK's largest asylum accommodation centre.

Braintree District Council wanted an injunction, arguing the proposals were a "flagrant breach" of planning laws.

Mr Justice Waksman said he did not have the legal power to grant the council's application.

"Braintree District Council says this is all about cost - but I do not accept that," he said, giving a ruling in London earlier.

"It is also a question of the general sustainability of the hotel options going forward.

"Provision of the accommodation for the asylum seekers is not just an option for the home secretary - but a statutory obligation."

MDP Wethersfield is located about 10 miles north of Braintree, which is the nearest large town

The judge said while he ruled in favour of Home Secretary Suella Braverman, he granted the council permission to take the case to the Court of Appeal because it had major implications.

"It is important for both local authorities and central government to know where they stand as soon as possible," he added.

The government has also earmarked two other Ministry of Defence (MOD) sites for asylum seeker accommodation - at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire and in a former RAF station-turned-prison at Bexhill in East Sussex.

About 250 people turned out for a protest in Wethersfield in March

The Home Office and MOD argued at a one-day hearing on Wednesday that changing the use of government-owned land was justified under planning law because it would prevent an emergency which "threatens serious damage to human welfare".

However, the council's barrister Wayne Beglan said: "They are not emergencies sufficient to justify circumventing the normal planning controls."

The government has said it wants to stop putting up asylum seekers in hotels, which it has estimated costs £6.2m per day.

It said 48,000 out of 109,000 asylum seekers in the UK, as of March this year, were in hotels.

The airfield site covers about 335 hectares and is located 10 miles from the nearest railway station in Braintree.

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There is no longer an RAF presence at Wethersfield, between the towns of Braintree and Haverhill, but it is used for MOD Police training.

Reacting to the High Court ruling, a Braintree council spokesperson said the local authority would continue to "press" the Home Office for more detail about its plans.

They added: "We remain of the view that Wethersfield airfield is an unsuitable site, given the lack of capacity in local services, its isolated location, the size of the site, and the fact that the scale of the development proposed could have a significant impact upon the local community."

The Home Office has welcomed the judgement.

"Delivering accommodation on surplus military sites will provide cheaper and more suitable accommodation for those arriving in small boats, whilst helping to reduce the use of costly hotels," a spokesperson said.

"Not only are accommodation sites more affordable for taxpayers, but they are also more manageable and orderly for communities, thanks to healthcare and catering facilities on site, 24/7 security and the purpose built basic, safe and secure accommodation they provide."