ABOVE: A long-running legal tussle has finally concluded, with work to house thousands of asylum seekers at the former RAF Scampton officially scrapped by the Home Office.
The former RAF Scampton (which closed in 2022) has been formally ruled out of Home Office plans to become asylum seeker accommodation, West Lindsey District Council has confirmed, with a £300 million regeneration plan now expected to proceed at the historic site.
The official announcement supersedes a temporary dual use ‘agreement in principle,’ announced in June, which would have seen the Home Office retain just 10% of the site for housing single male adult asylum seekers.
“Opening the site from this autumn as planned would have cost a total of £122 million by the end of its use in 2027, meaning the site no longer represents value for money,” said the Home Office in a statement; adding that a total of £60 million has already been spent on the site since its acquisition in April 2023.
“Work to close the site will begin immediately with the sale happening in line with the process for disposing of Crown land,” continued the Home Office; a move applauded by West Lindsey District Council leader Councillor Trevor Young. “Today, we can finally put to bed an incredibly difficult period for our community and focus time, energy and resource on this once-in-a-generation opportunity to honour the heritage of the site through regeneration and the delivery of investment in jobs and skills”.
Alongside acquiring the 800 acre site, West Lindsay District Council now intends to continue working with Scampton Holdings, whose vision is to “strengthen and develop the foundations within Lincolnshire for existing business areas and maximise future opportunities and economic growth;” including within the aerospace sector.
“We look forward to concluding our contract with West Lindsay 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,” said Peter Hewitt, Chairman of Scampton Holdings.
The council will now “progress at pace” to secure formal, long-term access to the site, while working alongside 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”.
IMAGE: WEST LINDSEY DISTRICT COUNCIL
