RAF Scampton migrants plan delayed to October, says council

Plans to house asylum seekers at RAF Scampton have been delayed until early October, the parish council has said.

An initial 200 migrants were due to arrive in August but Scampton Parish Council said the plan was delayed to complete surveys and connect utilities.

The Home Office plans to convert the former RAF camp into a migrant camp for up to 2,000 asylum seekers.

The government department said it was working hard to deliver the sites "as quickly as possible".

Scampton Parish Council said it was told about delays in finding suitably qualified people to oversee gas, water and electricity at the Scampton site during a Teams meeting with the Home Office on Thursday.

Writing on Facebook, the council said the transfer of the site from the Ministry of Defence to the Home Office had been delayed.

It added that "it is not clear why the Home Office did not factor" the accommodation surveys and utilities supply "into its plans at an earlier stage in the process".

A Home Office spokesman said: "Delivering accommodation on surplus military sites will end the use of expensive hotels to house those arriving in small boats.

"We continue to work closely with local authorities to address the local communities concerns. We are working hard to deliver these sites as quickly as possible."

West Lindsey District Council is to challenge the move by judicial review, fearing it would affect plans for a £300m regeneration project at the Scampton site.

Councillor Roger Patterson, who serves Scampton ward on the district council, told BBC Look North the delay in housing migrants was "no surprise" and that he believed asbestos was an issue.

He added: "The buildings are not fit for purpose."

The Times reported that Home Secretary Suella Braverman was working on contingency plans to house migrants in tents in the coming weeks, with a surge of boats expected.

A Home Office spokesperson would not comment on individual sites or proposals for asylum accommodation.

RAF Scampton was the original home of the 617 Dambusters Squadron, which flew the May 1943 dams raid in Germany.

During the Cold War, the air base helped provide Britain's nuclear deterrent, and the Red Arrows called it home for more than 20 years until its closure in late 2022.