RAF Scampton: West Lindsey District Council hopes to buy site by November
Young was joined at the meeting by deputy council leader Lesley Rollings, Gainsborough MP Sir Edward Leigh and Lincoln MP Hamish Falconer.
Young told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "We have come away feeling extremely positive – our case was well-received."We put forward a very good argument across as to why the council should be allowed to buy the site, to protect the heritage and bring the £300m of investment."However, Young said it was "a little bit frustrating" that the government wanted to put the site on the open market and said the local council should be "the preferred bidder". It is almost two years since the council first unveiled its designs for the site, which would be carried out with its partner Scampton Holdings Ltd.The plans would see the 800-acre location used for aviation, heritage, tourism, education and research.However, they were blocked when plans to house asylum seekers at Scampton were announced. The former base is seen as vital due to its historic connections with the famous 617 Squadron and its economic potential relating to defence, air and space.The Dambusters is the most famous wartime RAF squadron following its Operation Chastise mission in World War Two to destroy German dams using the bouncing bomb.The council launched its bid to buy the site in December, after the government scrapped the plan to use the former base as an asylum centre. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
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Daily Mirror
10 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Nigel Farage's migrant hotel demand slammed by husband of MP murdered by far right
Brendan Cox, whose Labour MP wife Jo was murdered in 2016, warned Nigel Farage's call for protests outside hotels across Britain 'will intimidate residents, stretch the police and could lead to violence' Nigel Farage has been slammed for stoking tensions in communities across Britain as ministers braced for a wave of asylum hotel legal fights. Home Office plans were thrown into turmoil after the High Court granted a temporary injunction on Tuesday preventing migrants being housed in the Bell Hotel in Epping. Several local authorities indicated they plan to mount their own legal challenges demanding hotels are closed in their areas. Mr Farage said he hoped demonstrations in the Essex town - which saw violent clashes outside the hotel in recent weeks - would "inspire similar protests around Britain". He was accused of "preying on people's anger, fear and desperation" to divide communities after calling for people to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations. Brendan Cox, co-founder of campaign group Survivors Against Terror told The Mirror: 'Farage needs to decide if he wants to be a serious politician or is more interested in being a rabble rouser." Mr Cox, whose Labour MP wife Jo was murdered by a far-right terrorist in 2016, continued: "There is a legitimate public debate about the use of hotels for accommodating asylum seekers - calling for protests that he knows full well will intimidate residents, stretch the police and could lead to violence is not the way to address it.' Security Minister Dan Jarvis said "the very worst politicians" try to drive people apart in a swipe at the Reform leader. He said the Government is committed to closing all asylum hotels and is drawing up contingency plans following the Epping ruling. Mr Jarvis said ministers are clear that hotels are not appropriate places to house migrants, while experts said a Tory "failure of public policy" had led to them being used in the first place. There are currently around 200 hotels housing migrants across the UK. At the end of March there were 32,345 living in them - down from over 56,000 under the Tories in September 2023. It was also down 15% from the end of December, when the total was 38,079. New figures are expected today(THUR) showing numbers in hotels at the end of June. At its peak, hotels were costing more than £9million a day after the Conservatives lost control of the asylum system. The Government has vowed to end the use of these hotels completely by the end of the Parliament in 2029. Home Office lawyers had warned that granting an injunction for the Bell Hotel 'could put Britain's asylum hotel scheme at risk of falling apart'. But Mr Justice Eyre backed a legal challenge by Epping Forest District Council, saying owner Somani Hotels had not followed planning law. Mr Farage said 12 councils where Reform are the biggest party would do "everything in their power to follow Epping's lead". And Tory-led Broxbourne Council said it will seek legal advice "as a matter of urgency" about whether it "could take a similar action" over a hotel in Cheshunt. Immigration campaigner Zoe Gardner accused Mr Farage of calling for "more racist protests to terrorise asylum seekers". And she added: "The man has no shame, literally calling for people to be hounded out of communities by mobs." Louise Calvey, executive director at charity Asylum Matters, told The Mirror: 'It's appalling to see members of our Parliament egging on violent disorder on our streets." She hit out at Mr Farage and senior Tory Robert Jenrick, who joined a demonstration in Epping despite his own record as immigration minister. Ms Calvey said: "People are right to be angry about asylum policy: our system is broken because the previous government stopped asylum decision-making. "It's not OK to take that anger out on the people subjected to these appalling policies, it's not OK to take that anger out on our communities that want to live peacefully with refugees in them. "For leading politicians to create the policies that brought us here, and then misdirect that anger on refugee families is an outrage." She warned that people who fled hostility in their homelands would be forced to move on because "an angry mob has been given its way". Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, told The Mirror: "Politicians of all parties should take care to talk about these issues responsibly. We've seen how protests outside hotels terrify people who've already fled war in places like Sudan and Afghanistan, some even feared for their lives when a hotel was attacked and set on fire last summer. "Most people in Britain are fair-minded and compassionate, but their concerns are being exploited by far-right groups with their own agendas. "The real problem is a broken asylum system that leaves people stuck in hotels at huge public cost. What we need is faster, fairer decisions and safe housing in communities, so refugees can work, study and rebuild their lives." Mr Solomon continued: "We urge all political leaders to reject toxic narratives and speak with the compassion, responsibility and integrity the public deserves.' Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer told The Mirror: ' Nigel Farage 's role in whipping up unrest around asylum hotels is absolutely shameful. He is a millionaire preying on people's anger, fear and desperation to divide communities, stoke tensions and put people's safety at risk." She accused the Reform leader of "creating a terrifying environment of hostility" and said politicians have a "moral duty" to stand up to him It came after Mr Farage wrote in The Telegraph: "Now the good people of Epping must inspire similar protests around Britain." And he added: "Let's hold peaceful protests outside the migrant hotels and put pressure on local councils to go to court to try and get the illegal immigrants out; we now know that together we can win." Home Office minister Mr Jarvis said: "I think the important point to make is that nobody really thinks that hotels are a sustainable location to accommodate asylum seekers. That's precisely why the Government has made a commitment that, by the end of this Parliament, we would have phased out the use of them." Under Boris Johnson the use of hotels for asylum seekers started to grow. At the time the Tories insisted it was temporary, blaming Covid, rising small boat crossings and a backlog of unresolved cases. In March 2020 there were around 1,200 people in hotels. By the summer this had reached 4,400, and it had soared to 9,500 by October that year. In March 2023, when Rishi Sunak was PM, the number was 47,518, peaking at 56,042 in the autumn. Imran Hussain, from the Refugee Council, said: "Nobody thinks asylum seekers should be kept in hotels while their case is being assessed. It's very expensive. It's not good for the asylum seekers. It's isolating. It's an isolating experience I think even before the protests, with the protests it's incredibly terrifying for people. "And of course as we've seen for local communities, there's a lot of tension, some of which is being exploited by people on the far- right. So no one thinks it's a good idea." He said a "failure of public policy" led to the Tories resorting to using asylum hotels as a massive backlog swelled to a peak of 175,000 in 2023. Mr Hussain said: "For 20 odd years that we've supported asylum seekers through, the system worked perfectly well. We had accommodation for people without using hotels. But the last few years there's been a huge backlog of cases that's grown up because the previous government (the Tories) stopped making decisions on cases because it wanted to send people to Rwanda. "The backlog has meant the accommodation that was existing was full and people have had to use hotels." Protesters cracked open champagne bottles following the High Court ruling. Callum Barker, 21, said: 'I'm ecstatic; I haven't stopped smiling. For five years, this hotel's blighted us. Everyone's had their complaints and reservations about it and I'm really glad to see it gone. 'I think nationally there will be more protests; I hope so. We want people to get out into their communities, get rid of these hotels." But Epping solicitor Charlotee, 33, told Runcorn and Widnes World: 'I think it's kicking the can down the road because where are they going to go? 'Personally, I have lived here for four years and I've never had an issue, never noticed any problems with any asylum seekers living in the hotel a mile away." And Michael Barnes, 61, said: 'The question is, where does it go from here? I don't love them on my doorstep but, in fairness, they've got to live somewhere. I don't think it's all of them, it's just the minority of them that get up to no good.'
Leader Live
12 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Government working on contingency plans after ruling on Epping migrant hotel
Ministers are now bracing for further legal challenges from councils across the country. Security minister Dan Jarvis told Times Radio on Wednesday: 'We're looking at a range of different contingency options following from a legal ruling that took place yesterday, and we'll look closely at what we're able to do.' Asked whether other migrant hotels have the proper planning permission, Mr Jarvis said: 'Well, we'll see over the next few days and weeks. 'Other local authorities will be considering whether they wish to act in the same way that Epping (Forest) District Council have. 'I think the important point to make is that nobody really thinks that hotels are a sustainable location to accommodate asylum seekers. 'That's precisely why the Government has made a commitment that, by the end of this Parliament, we would have phased out the use of them.' A STATEMENT FROM NIGEL FARAGE This is a victory for the parents and concerned residents of Epping. They do not want their young women being assaulted on the streets. This community stood up bravely, despite being slandered as far right, and have won. They represent the vast… — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) August 19, 2025 Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has indicated that councils run by his party will consider their own legal challenges. However, a number of these councils do not have responsibility for planning permission, which may limit their ability to launch legal challenges. Mr Farage also called for peaceful protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers to put pressure on local authorities to take the same route as Epping Forest. Writing in The Telegraph, he said: 'Now the good people of Epping must inspire similar protests around Britain. 'Wherever people are concerned about the threat posed by young undocumented males living in local hotels and who are free to walk their streets, they should follow the example of the town in Essex. 'Let's hold peaceful protests outside the migrant hotels, and put pressure on local councils to go to court to try and get the illegal immigrants out; we now know that together we can win.' On Tuesday, a High Court judge ruled the former Bell Hotel in Epping must stop housing asylum seekers by September 12. Epping Forest District Council had asked a judge to issue an interim injunction stopping migrants from being accommodated there. The hotel has been at the centre of a series of protests in recent weeks after an asylum seeker who was staying there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. The Home Office had warned the judge that an injunction could 'interfere' with the department's legal obligations, and lawyers representing the hotel's owner argued it would set a 'precedent'. Our work with international partners is vital to stopping small boat crossings to the UK. A joint intelligence unit involving the @NCA_UK and French counterparts has helped dismantle at least 52 organised immigration crime gangs operating in France. — Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) August 17, 2025 Now, Conservative-run Broxbourne Council in Hertfordshire has said it was taking legal advice 'as a matter of urgency' about whether it could take similar action to Epping Forest District Council, which is also run by the Tories. Reform UK-led councils, West Northamptonshire Council and Staffordshire County Council, also said the authorities would look at the options available after the High Court ruling. Ian Cooper, leader of Staffordshire County Council, said: 'The control and protection of our country's borders is a national issue, but the impact of central government policy is felt in communities across Staffordshire.' The latest Home Office data showed there were 32,345 asylum seekers being housed temporarily in UK hotels at the end of March. This was down 15% from the end of December, when the total was 38,079, and 6% lower than the 34,530 at the same point a year earlier. New figures – published among the usual quarterly immigration data release – are expected on Thursday, showing numbers in hotels at the end of June. Figures for hotels published by the Home Office date back to December 2022 and showed numbers hit a peak at the end of September 2023 when there were 56,042 asylum seekers in hotels.
Leader Live
12 minutes ago
- Leader Live
How many asylum seekers are in UK hotels and why are they being housed there?
On Tuesday, Epping Forest District Council was granted a temporary injunction blocking asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel in the Essex town. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the latest overall data. – How many asylum seekers are in hotels across the UK? The most recent Home Office data showed there were 32,345 asylum seekers being housed temporarily in UK hotels at the end of March. This was down 15% from the end of December, when the total was 38,079. New figures – published among the usual quarterly immigration data release – are expected on Thursday, showing numbers in hotels at the end of June. Figures for hotels published by the Home Office date back to December 2022 and showed numbers hit a peak at the end of September 2023 when there were 56,042 asylum seekers in hotels. – How many hotels are in use for asylum seekers? It is thought there were more than 400 asylum hotels open in summer 2023. Labour said this has since been reduced to fewer than 210. – Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels? Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation, known as contingency accommodation, if they are awaiting assessment of their claim or have had a claim approved and there is not enough longer-term accommodation available. The Home Office provides accommodation to asylum seekers who have no other way of supporting themselves on a 'no choice' basis, so they cannot choose where they live. When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to accommodation such as hotels and large sites, like former military bases. In May, the National Audit Office said those temporarily living in hotels accounted for 35% of all people in asylum accommodation. – Is this likely to be a permanent arrangement? Labour has pledged to end the 'costly use of hotels to house asylum seekers in this Parliament' – which would be 2029, if not earlier. Campaigners and charities have long argued that hotels are not suitable environments to house asylum seekers. The Refugee Council said they 'cost the taxpayer billions, trap people in limbo and are flashpoints in communities' and urged the Government to 'partner with local councils to provide safe, cost-effective accommodation within communities'. – What is the Government saying since the legal ruling? Ministers are 'looking at a range of different contingency options' following Tuesday's ruling, according to security minister Dan Jarvis In the immediate aftermath of the judgment, border security minister Dame Angela Eagle repeated criticism of the previous Conservative government, saying Labour had 'inherited a broken asylum system'. She said the Government would 'continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns' around asylum hotels. – What options does the Home Office have now? Last month, amid protests outside the Bell Hotel and more migrants crossing the Channel, an extra 400 spaces were being prepared to house male asylum seekers at RAF Wethersfield in Essex. The former military site, which has a usual capacity of 800 beds, is expected to house more adult men on a short-term basis. The Labour Government scrapped the large site of the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset, earlier this year, while Napier Barracks in Folkestone, Kent, is also due to end housing asylum seekers and be returned to the Ministry of Defence in September. – Why were there protests outside the Bell Hotel? The hotel in Epping has been at the centre of a series of protests in recent weeks after an asylum seeker who was staying there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl – something he has denied and he is due to stand trial later in August. After the High Court's ruling, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wrote in the Telegraph calling for Epping protests to inspire further action wherever there are concerns about the 'threat posed by young undocumented males' living in hotels. But on Tuesday more than 100 women's organisations wrote to ministers warning that vital conversations about violence against women and girls are being 'hijacked by an anti-migrant agenda' that fuels divisions and harms survivors. The joint statement, including from Rape Crisis England & Wales and Refuge, said: 'We have been alarmed in recent weeks by an increase in unfounded claims made by people in power, and repeated in the media, that hold particular groups as primarily responsible for sexual violence. 'This not only undermines genuine concerns about women's safety, but also reinforces the damaging myth that the greatest risk of gender-based violence comes from strangers.'
