Council issues temporary stop notice halting Home Office works at ex-airfield being used to house asylum seekers

The Home Office has been forced to stop construction work at RAF Scampton after receiving a temporary stop notice from West Lindsey District Council over an alleged planning breach.

According to the council, there has been a breach of planning control relating specifically to the Listed Buildings and archaeology on the site, which includes hangars that date back to the 1930s.

The legal notice – which was displayed on site this morning (8 September) – has put a stop to works aimed at making the disused airfield suitable to accommodate up to 2,000 asylum seekers and comes ahead of a judicial review brought by the council aimed at scuppering the Home Office's plans.

The alleged breaches include the installation of permanent palisade fencing, intrusive surveying works, groundworks, and connections to utilities, having the potential to cause irreversible damage to important heritage assets.

The temporary stop notice requires the Home Office and all associated contractors to cease all works in respect of the Listed Buildings, all intrusive surveying works, groundworks and the installation of fencing on the site. It will last 28 days.

Sally Grindrod-Smith, Director of Planning, Regeneration and Communities at West Lindsey District Council, said the council was aware of works on the site, but despite repeated requests and service of a planning contravention notice, it had not been provided with any details of:

• Schedules of works;
• Method statements;
• Site plans/work phasing plans;
• Details of materials;
• Detailed summary/summaries and schedule/s of all surveys being undertaken on the site;
• or a marked-up site plan to show the locations of surveys having already been undertaken and those proposed.

Grindrod-Smith said: "Additionally, the council has not been approached to determine whether listed building consent is required for works currently being undertaken on the site. The council is concerned about the future of the significant and important heritage on site at RAF Scampton and the Home Office has not provided the necessary information or reassurances."

Under the notice, development work should halt on-site with immediate effect until the council is given details of the proposed works and can determine whether additional planning consents are required.

The council has also served a further planning contravention notice seeking the relevant information.

West Lindsey's judicial review challenge is due to be heard by the High Court over two days on 31 October and 1 November.

The challenge will be heard together with judicial reviews brought by Braintree District Council, which launched its own challenge of similar plans for an airfield in Wethersfield, and a Wethersfield resident.

Adam Carey