West Lindsey District Council has launched legal action against the Home Office to challenge the decision to use a local Royal Air Force station as a site for asylum accommodation.
It follows an announcement by the Minister for Immigration on Wednesday (March 29) to use RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire as a site for up to 2,000 asylum seekers. The local authority said in a statement that it does not consider the base to be “appropriate” and that it is concerned Home Office proposals will affect plans to deliver a £300 million regeneration programme and put the “world-renowned heritage” site at risk.
It insisted there are a “significant number of barriers” to mobilising the site for asylum seekers, including “significant contamination” from previous site uses that would require “thorough remediation”. The body accused the Home Office of failing “to provide a satisfactory response” to questions raised and said it has therefore commenced legal action to challenge the government department’s decision.
