Council 'inundated' with proof of RAF Scampton asylum camp work

Up to 2,000 asylum seekers could be placed at the site in Lincolnshire, the government has said

A council says it has been "inundated" with proof the government has ignored an order to stop work to convert an ex-RAF station into an asylum centre.

In September, West Lindsey District Council (WLDC) served the Home Office with a notice ordering it to cease all work at the former RAF Scampton site.

However, council officers had witnessed work continuing during a site visit on 13 October, the authority said.

The Home Office said it was "carefully considering" the notice's implications.

It added that it would be "inappropriate to comment further at this time".

The Home Office's plans to house up to 2,000 asylum seekers at the former home of the Red Arrows and wartime Dambusters squadron in Lincolnshire have met with strong opposition.

A judicial review into the proposals for the former RAF station is due to take place at the end of this month.

The council issued a temporary stop notice to workers at Scampton on 22 September

Under the terms of the stop notice issued by WLDC on 22 September, the Home Office was prevented, without planning permission, from making "a material change of use" to the RAF Scampton site to accommodate asylum seekers.

It also prohibited "operational development", such as the installation of portable buildings and groundworks, to accommodate asylum seekers.

The Home Office was also required to restore the site to its original condition.

However, on 4 October WLDC said that despite written assurances to the contrary, it was clear activity was persisting "at pace" on the site.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the council said it had since been "inundated" with information from local residents sharing evidence of the work still continuing to take place.

A WLDC spokesperson said those residents' reports were backed up by council officers who visited the site on Friday 13 October.

During the visit, officers had witnessed an increase in the number of portable buildings on the site, with work also having been carried out to "connect the cabins to utilities", they said.

Officers had also observed that refurbishment works to the existing buildings "were almost complete", the spokesperson added.

A judicial review into the Home Office's plans for the ex-RAF Scampton site is due to take place at the end of October

Council leader Trevor Young, said: "It's clear from our most recent site visit that despite repeated assurances, the Home Office has breached the stop notice and continued with the unlawful development of the site at RAF Scampton.

"The council continues to be inundated with intelligence from the community regarding daily activity."

Mr Young said the Home Office should not use the former RAF station as a site to accommodate asylum seekers until the judicial review had been completed.

Meanwhile, Sally Grindrod-Smith, director of planning regeneration and communities at WLDC, said residents had contacted the council asking why neither the authority or the police had taken action to stop works at Scampton.

"This is because the site is Crown Land, which means it is owned by the government, and so a local council cannot undertake physical enforcement action," she said.

Campaigners have held several protests outside the gates of the RAF Scampton opposing the asylum camp plans

The Home Office said it recognised its responsibilities to ensure the "heritage assets at RAF Scampton were protected and preserved".

Local residents' concerns were understood, the Home Office said, adding that it was working to "reduce the impact of these sites, including through providing on-site security and financial support".

The use of alternative sites to house asylum seekers involved "difficult decisions", but "urgent action" was needed to "reform the broken asylum system", it said.

A Home Office spokesperson added: "Delivering accommodation on surplus military sites provides cheaper and more orderly, suitable accommodation for those arriving in small boats, while helping to reduce the use of hotels.

"We are confident our project, which will house asylum seekers in basic, safe and secure accommodation, meets the planning requirements."

The Home Office confirmed that WLDC would receive £3,500 for each occupied bed space on the site once it was up and running.

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