Home Secretary expected to respond to possible legal action on plans for RAF Scampton
West Lindsey District Council is concerned about asylum seeker plans
The Home Secretary is expected to respond to a letter today that claims the decision to house asylum seekers at RAF Scampton is 'irrational'.
West Lindsey District Council announced they would be challenging the decision after it was made official last Wednesday, and have since been following the Pre-Action protocol for a Judicial Review.
They say the Home Office does not have the appropriate planning permission for the intended use.
You could put them in a field somewhere
Edward Leigh is the MP for Gainsborough whose constituency covers Scampton
He's suggested RAF Woodhall Spa- which is already government owned, or RAF Kirton in Lindsey as alternatives.
He told us: "If we're talking about putting up porta cabins for a thousand people you could have put them up in the middle of a field somewhere, I would have thought."
It's a perverse decision
"Why go to a historic site like RAF Scampton and that's why we think it's a perverse decision."
"There is light at the end of the tunnel there is every hope that we can win this legal action or we can persuade the home office to go away and find somewhere else."
"It's easy enough to find a bit of free decaying housing blocks and a bit of hard standing."
Meanwhile there's been noticeable changes at RAF Scampton as the Home Office begins preparations to house asylum seekers there,
Site's monument to the Red Arrow has been removed
Signage around the former air base has been taken down, leaving the front gate bare
The site's monument to the Red Arrows has also been removed - which was auctioned off recently.
Physical works to make it suitable for accommodation are set to begin in due course, although site investigation specialists are said to have already been spotted.
It was last Wednesday the announcement was made official, which revealed up to 2,000 migrants will stay there while they await processing.