Scampton revamp back on after asylum plan ditched

The £300m regeneration of RAF Scampton could now be accelerated following the decision to scrap plans to convert the site into an asylum centre.

The Home Office announced on Thursday it had abandoned its plans to house up to 2,000 asylum seekers at the former airbase near Lincoln.

The move frees up the site for Scampton Holdings Ltd’s planned regeneration project, which West Lindsey District Council (WLDC) now intends to push ahead with.

Council leader Trevor Young said the authority could now "focus time, energy and resource on this once in a generation opportunity to honour the heritage of this site through regeneration and the delivery of investment in jobs and skills".

The development plan for the site, formerly home to the Dambusters and Red Arrows, was announced in March 2023 and would see the 800-acre location used for aviation, heritage, tourism, education and research.

However, weeks later, the site was earmarked by the then Conservative government to accommodate asylum seekers.

After 18 months of protests and a lengthy legal battle, the Home Office announced the plans had been scrapped because they do not represent value for money.

A total of £60m had already been spent on the site due to commitments from the previous government and work to close it "will begin immediately", according to a written Commons statement by Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle.

Sally Grindrod-Smith, director of planning, regeneration and communities at WLDC, said: “Work will now progress at pace to conclude the necessary contracting arranging and secure formal, long term access to the site.

"In the meantime, it will be important to work with the Home Office to ensure any works already completed on site can be decommissioned and removed sensitively so as to protect the heritage of the site.”

Ms Grindrod-Smith said a formal taskforce would be led by the council, engaging "all key stakeholders" to develop the masterplan for the site, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Peter Hewitt, chairman of development partner Scampton Holdings Ltd, said: “We must now put this period behind us, roll up our sleeves and work together to unlock the true potential of Scampton for generations to come.

“We look forward to concluding our contract with West Lindsey District Council and moving into a period where we can work both with investors and the local community to achieve something very special in the defence, air and space sector in this unique corner of Lincolnshire.”

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