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Home Office bid to use asylum site beyond April

Danny Fullbrook
Press Association Aerial shot of the housing blocks at an airbase. Four rectangular accommodation blocks can be seen, surrounded by grass, trees and roads. There are agricultural fields in the background.Press Association
The former airbase has housed asylum seekers since July 2023

The government has submitted proposals to extend the use of a former airbase to house asylum seekers.

The Home Office has applied to continue using MDP Wethersfield, in north Essex, beyond April 2027, when the current permission expires.

The government has been moving asylum seekers to former military bases as part of a plan to reduce the use of asylum hotels.

Asked about the application, a Home Office spokesperson said: "The government is working on a fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country, with over £1 billion saved in costs since the election."

"This includes closing all asylum hotels and moving to alternative accommodation, including former military sites. These are designed to be self-contained, with 24/7 security and CCTV, to reduce the impact on local communities," they added.

Simon Dedman/BBC Peter Harris looking at the camera while standing in a wood-panelled council chamber. He is wearing a suit and tie. The tie is maroon and the blazer is navy blue. There are portraits on the wall in the background. He has two metal pin badges on a lapel - one of the union flag and one of the Essex triple seaxes.Simon Dedman/BBC
Essex County Council leader Peter Harris wants MDP Wethersfield to be closed as asylum accommodation

Reform UK councillor Peter Harris, leader of Essex County Council, said: "Wethersfield is the wrong facility in the wrong location and I have consistently raised concerns about its impact on local communities.

"We will carefully review the application and consider every option available to challenge any further expansion of the site and ensure the views of Essex residents are strongly represented."

The county council previously hired security guards to patrol areas of Braintree, Colchester and Chelmsford frequently visited by asylum seekers staying at the site.

However, Essex Police Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said crime linked to large-scale asylum accommodation in the county was "very low".

Braintree District Council leader, Tom Cunningham, said the site remained "unsuitable" and should "close as soon as possible".

The Conservative councillor said: "This news is deeply disappointing, and the Home Office plans have totally ignored feedback from our communities who have to live with the impact of the asylum centre.

"We will continue to urge the Home Office to make the site as self-sustaining as possible and minimise the impact on local residents."

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