A community in Lincolnshire has expressed its relief that a former airbase will no longer be used to house asylum seekers.
The Home Office announced plans to abandon proposals to use RAF Scampton as accommodation for people arriving in the UK on small boats because it does not deliver “value for money”.
Local people and the council which represents Scampton have been campaigning against the plans since first announced by the former Conservative Government in March 2023.
Despite £60million being spent on the facility, not a single asylum seeker has arrived to live at Scampton.
Scampton campaigners hold ‘we’ve won’ sign
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Cllr Trevor Young Leader of West Lindsey District Council
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Sarah Carter of the Save Our Scampton Campaign said: “I’m over the moon. I couldn’t be happier.”
The Scampton resident, who runs a cake-making business when not campaigning, led one of several groups opposing the plan for the airbase.
She continued: “It’s been horrendous. The Home Office kept us in the dark most of the time and lied to us.”
“The uncertainty creates so much stress and tension. I’m looking forward to decompressing now.”
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Sarah Carter Save Our Scampton Campaign
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Over eighteen months, warring groups living in makeshift camps on the edge of the base jostled to raise their concerns about the site.
On several occasions, police were called to disorder around some of the encampments where outsiders were blamed.
Home Office Minister, Dame Angela Eagle said the use of the site “clearly fails to deliver value for money for the taxpayer” with £122million expected in costs between Autumn and the end of 2027.
Original plans were for 2,000 asylum seekers from the Middle East and North Africa to live at Scampton.
After a long-running legal challenge from West Lindsey District Council, which resulted in a failed judicial review, the proposed number of migrants was dropped to 800.
RAF Scampton
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The Lincolnshire council has its own plans for the former Dambusters base to create a world-class heritage centre with an investment of £300million.
Cllr Trevor Young, the Liberal Democrat Leader of West Lindsey District Council said:
“The district council took some brave decisions over the last two years.”
The council prevented work at Scampton by serving Stop Notices – a legal order to stop work on a site that is believed to be breaking the law.
“The previous Government failed to communicate their plans to the local community and underestimated how hard we would fight to protect this site,” he said.
Other sites, including the former Wethersfield base and Bibby Stockholm barge, formed part of the Tory plan to reduce the £8million daily bill on housing asylum seekers in hotels.
Amnesty International opposed the use of such sites as being unfit for refugees.
RAF Scampton was used to launch the famous Dambuster raids during the Second World War and later became home to the Red Arrows.
