Unexploded bombs and gases found at RAF Scampton

A former RAF site in Lincolnshire set to house asylum seekers is contaminated with unexploded bombs and ground gases, the government has said.

But, in a letter seen by the BBC, housing minister Lee Rowley said the risk was "not likely" to be significant.

The letter, which was sent to West Lindsey District Council (WLDC), also claimed there was "little potential" of adverse effects on listed buildings or RAF memorials on the site.

Up to 800 asylum seekers will be housed at the Lincolnshire site, with the first expected to arrive later this month.

The nine-page letter, addressed to the chief executive of WLDC, covered issues such as:

• The health and wellbeing of the asylum seekers
• Potential tensions between people of different ethnicity, religions and backgrounds
• The impact on important listed buildings, heritage assets and graves at the site
• The mental and physical health of people living nearby due to the fear of crime

It also looked at flood risk, waste disposal, the impact on traffic on the surrounding roads and villages and local wildlife.

Mr Rowley said he had "carefully considered" all the available information as part of the planning permission process.

He concluded that "in the circumstances of this project, there are unlikely to be significant effects".

The Home Office said the site, near Lincoln, would be used for up to four-and-a-half years by refurbishing some of the existing building and installing modular units.

The plans have led to protests and legal challenges about the suitability of the site, the impact on a £300m regeneration project and the site's heritage.

Last month, in an answer to a question in Parliament from Gainsborough MP Sir Edward Leigh, the prime minister said the site would be used for "the shortest time possible".

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