Demands for government to confirm pledge to scrap Linton-on-Ouse asylum centre plan

Questions have been raised about a government pledge to scrap plans for a huge asylum reception centre in a North Yorkshire village.

There was a major outcry when ministers announced in April that they planned to turn the former RAF base at Linton-on-Ouse into a centre for up to 1,500 asylum seekers. The village is home to around 700 residents.

Following the protests Defence Secretary Ben Wallace later said the plan would be ditched.

But in a letter to the new Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, the local Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake said the "relief" felt by residents was "waning".

He said: "Since the Defence Secretary's announcement, there has been growing concern among residents and parish and local councillors about the lack of formal acknowledgement of cancellation.

"I understand Linton-on-Ouse Parish Council has been in contact with the Home Office to request such a document, but one has not been produced.

"As you can understand, the relief felt by many in the village is waning due to the lack of a tangible announcement. Moreover there does not seem to be any clear signs of what the base will now be used for, a matter I have long pressed the Ministry of Defence on."

The initial plans for the asylum centre were announced as part of a wider overhaul of the immigration system in April, which would also have seen some seeking asylum flown to Rwanda for processing.

Those housed at the site would have arrived in Britain on boats and would have mostly been men aged 18 to 40. The Home Office said they would be "low needs", rather than "high dependency", individuals.

But residents and politicians said the plans were announced without consultation. There were major concerns about the size of the site relative to the village. Human rights groups said the plans were ill-advised.

It led to protests at public meetings and a threat of legal action from the local council.

In a Facebook post, Mr Hollinrake said the government had failed to clarify its position.

"This lack of clarity naturally leaves residents in Linton-on-Ouse and the surrounding area extremely concerned," he said.

A government spokesperson declined to confirm the asylum centre plan would not go ahead.

They said: "We are overhauling the system to ensure asylum seekers are not placed in hotels, which currently costs more than £5 million every day. 

"Asylum accommodation centres will be vital in reducing this burden on the taxpayer, and we will continue to identify appropriate sites."

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