RAF Scampton asylum seekers plan 'concerning', says council leader

RAF Scampton was the home of the Red Arrows for more than 20 years

A council leader says he is "extremely concerned" by news asylum seekers could be housed at the former home of the Red Arrows and the Dambusters.

West Lindsey District Council said the Home Office had confirmed it was looking at a number of sites including Lincolnshire's RAF Scampton.

Leader Owen Bierley said he had concerns about the impact on the community if the plans went ahead.

The Home Office has said it "did not routinely comment on individual sites".

Mr Bierley said the former air base was "not suitable for asylum seekers" because of "poor public transport connectivity and is remote in nature to services".

He added: "We are extremely concerned by what impact this will have on our existing local community, given the close proximity to Scampton schools and nursery."

The council leader said he had been told that some 1,500 asylum seekers could be kept at the base at any one time.

RAF Scampton was recently closed to save the Ministry of Defence (MoD) money.

The news comes days after the council agreed a £300m plan to transform the 800-acre site into a development to be used for aviation, heritage, tourism, education and research.

The council leader said plans to revive the site were "ready to go" and if the Home Office went ahead with housing migrants "it would be contrary to its longer-term investment and levelling up plans".

RAF Scampton was the home of the Red Arrows display team for more than 20 years and was also the base for the World War Two 617 Dambusters squadron.

News that the site could be used for migrants first emerged on Wednesday after the area's Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh said he had been told civil servants were working on plans.

He said he had been told the move would be temporary and would not jeopardise an agreement to rejuvenate the site.

Lincolnshire is already home to hundreds of asylum seekers being housed in hotels, five of them in Skegness.

In an earlier statement, the Home Office said: "We have always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being put on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country.

"We continue to work across government and with local authorities to look at a range of accommodation options and sites but the best way to relieve these pressures is to stop the boats in the first place."