The Home Secretary is being urged to make a decision over the future of the former RAF Scampton base
It's nearly 18 months since the Home Office decided part of the site would be use to house migrants
West Lindsey District Council has urged the Home Secretary to make a decision on the future of RAF Scampton as soon as possible.
Nearly 18 months have passed since the Home Office listed the historic former RAF Scampton airbase near Lincoln as a site to house asylum seekers awaiting processing.
After multiple protests and a lengthy legal battle by the council, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer pledged at the Labour conference in Liverpool last October to cancel the plans to house up to 2,000 migrants at the site if the party wins the next General Election. The number of asylum seekers was later reduced to 800 the following March.
Fast forward five months, and Labour secured a landslide victory in the General Election on July 4. Shortly thereafter, the party announced the scrapping of the Bibby Stockholm barge as part of its overhaul of the asylum accommodation system.
However, there has yet to be an announcement regarding the plans for RAF Scampton. Lincoln MP Hamish Falconer said he was hoping to provide an update “as soon as possible” earlier this month.
A spokesperson for West Lindsey District Council has since urged Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to provide an update on the plans, stating that each passing day adds to the uncertainty.
They said: “It’s clear the Home Secretary is taking decisive action to implement a new approach to reducing the asylum backlog and providing suitable accommodation.
“The council has reached out to secure an urgent conversation regarding the future of RAF Scampton, this hasn’t happened yet.
“Whilst it’s appreciated the workload of the new Home Secretary is significant, each day that goes by heightens the uncertainty faced by the council and our development partner which could be damaging to the overall viability of the investment and regeneration plan.
“We look forward to receiving a decision on the future of the site as soon as possible.”
The Home Office was unable to provide an update on RAF Scampton, even though doors were recently removed from the Station Headquarters.
Although not in a formal statement, the Home Office maintained that the Home Secretary would decide on the future of the site in due course.