Home Office confirms plans for North Yorkshire asylum seeker base scrapped
The government has officially cancelled plans to introduce an asylum seeker reception centre in Linton-on-Ouse
The Home Office has confirmed a plan to introduce an asylum seeker base at a former RAF site in North Yorkshire have been scrapped.
In a statement, Hambleton District Council, the local authority that oversees Linton-on-Ouse said it had been given official confirmation that the plans would not be going ahead.
There was a major outcry when the previous government announced it could house 1,500 at an asylum seeker reception centre in the village.
Concerns about how the village would be able to cope with housing hundreds of migrants led to protests and a threat of legal action from local councillors.
The news has been welcomed by Hambleton District Council leader Mark Robson, who said: “It is an excellent outcome for the residents of Linton-on-Ouse and all those living in the surrounding areas as well as for Hambleton District Council, all of which fought hard to oppose these plans."
Earlier in the week, Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake wrote to the government asking for clarity.
Residents in Linton-on-Ouse had previously accused ministers of treating them as "collateral damage".