Linton-on-Ouse: Asylum centre plan for ex-RAF site scrapped

The plans for an asylum centre in North Yorkshire were opposed by villagers and Hambleton District Council

Plans to turn a former RAF base into an asylum seeker centre have been withdrawn, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said.

In April, the Home Office announced plans to turn the site at Linton-on-Ouse, in North Yorkshire, into an asylum centre for up to 1,500 men.

But villagers and Hambleton District Council opposed the decision and said they would mount a legal challenge.

Mr Wallace said he had withdrawn the offer of the site to the Home Office.

The minister was asked about the plans during a visit to West Yorkshire on Tuesday.

He said: "I have withdrawn the offer to the Home Office for that site. It's been with them for a number of months.

"I have obligations to do something else with that site, and you know there are other sites we made available to the Home Office if they wish to take it up."

'Sword of Damocles'

Olga Matthias, of the Linton-on-Ouse Action Group which was set up to oppose the plans, said she was "over the moon" at the news.

"The government had effectively put the sword of Damocles over the whole village for the past four months, so the sense of relief that I have got has to be echoed by everybody else now the uncertainty has gone," she said.

"We have said all along that this was 'wrong plan, wrong place' and if the Home Office had done even a tiny bit of research before the announcement they would have seen this was the wrong place."

Virginia Sharpe, who lives in the village, said she wanted to "see it in writing and get confirmation for sure".

"Then we'll cross fingers and hope that it is the end of this ridiculous plan," she added.

The Home Office previously said the centre at the former RAF station would be as self-sufficient as possible

Announcing the plans in April, the Home Office said the facility would provide "safe and cost-effective" accommodation for single adult men who are claiming asylum in the UK, and meet suitability criteria.

Kevin Hollinrake, Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton, who has campaigned against the plans, tweeted: "Delighted Linton-on-Ouse plans now scrapped. Wonderful team effort."

Conservative party leadership contender and North Yorkshire MP Rishi Sunak was "delighted" the plans had been withdrawn, a spokesperson for his campaign said.

The government said it remained committed to "tackling illegal migration and stopping dangerous small boat crossings".

A spokesperson said: "The government will continue to identify appropriate sites for Greek-style asylum reception centres which will play a key role in reducing the number of asylum seekers in hotels, which cost the taxpayer more than £5m each day."