'Urgent' talks sought over RAF base asylum plans

A council has urged Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to make a decision "as soon as possible" over plans to house asylum seekers at a former RAF station in Lincolnshire.

The previous government had planned to use RAF Scampton to house up to 800 asylum seekers.

However, Sir Keir Starmer said in October he would act "straight away" to stop the scheme if Labour won the general election.

West Lindsey District Council has asked Ms Cooper to provide an update on the plans, stating that "each passing day adds to the uncertainty". The BBC has approached the Home Office for a comment.

The plan to convert the former home of the Red Arrows and wartime Dambusters squadron into an asylum camp has met with strong opposition from both local residents and the council.

There were concerns it would impact on a £300m deal to regenerate the site, with the aim of transforming it into a business, aerospace and heritage centre.

A council spokesperson said: “It’s clear the home secretary is taking decisive action to implement a new approach to reducing the asylum backlog and providing suitable accommodation.

“The council has reached out to secure an urgent conversation regarding the future of RAF Scampton, [and] this hasn’t happened yet.

“Each day that goes by heightens the uncertainty faced by the council and our development partner, which could be damaging to the overall viability of the investment and regeneration plan."

Ms Cooper previously called the plans for Scampton "disrespectful", given the history of the site.

Sir Keir told the BBC in 2023 that "to do it on a site that actually could and should be used as a business development, is fundamentally the wrong thing".

Ms Cooper was expected to make a decision in "due course", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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