The former air base at Linton-on-Ouse won’t now be used to house asylum seekers, the Defence Secretary said today (Tuesday).
Ben Wallace says he has “withdrawn” the offer for a disused North Yorkshire RAF base to be used to house asylum seekers.
It follows Conservative Party leadership candidate Rishi Sunak saying he would ask the Home Office to find an alternative solution to using the site in Linton-on-Ouse.
Asked about that while campaigning for Mr Sunak’s rival Liz Truss, Mr Wallace said: “He didn’t oppose it when he was in Government, so that’s a new surprise.
“I think because he’s not in Government he won’t know what’s been going on. I have withdrawn the offer to the Home Office for that site.
“It’s been with them for a number of months. I have obligations to do something else with that site, and you know there are other sites we made available to the Home Office if they wish to take it up.”
Speaking to reporters in Huddersfield, Mr Wallace said: “I have withdrawn the offer of that site to the Home Office.
“It was one of, I think, five sites we offered at the time, when Rishi Sunak was in Government, and he was certainly supportive of it at the time. He isn’t now, interestingly enough.”
[tptn_list limit=3 daily=1 hour_range=1]
The plan to turn the former air base into a home for up to 1,500 male asylum seekers – double the village population – sparked fury.
The Linton Action Group was set up to overturn the plan, which was also opposed by North Yorkshire MPs and Hambleton District Council (HDC)
One of the campaigners, Olga Matthias, told YorkMix Radio: “We always knew that sooner or later, they would have to back down.
“Even if it opened, they would have had to close it because of all the points that we’ve made about how unsuitable the site and the location are.
“But we’re over the moon.
“We have to think that somebody somewhere will actually call the Home Office to account for coming up with these ridiculous ideas.”
Councillor Mark Robson, Leader of HDC said: “We welcome the news that Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has confirmed that RAF Linton has been withdrawn as an option for an asylum reception centre.
“We are yet to be formally notified by the Home Office that RAF Linton is no longer being considered and until we receive this notification, the legal work I talked about in my previous statement remains ongoing.
“Had we as a council not intervened with this proposal and challenged the Government when we were first made aware of its plans, it is my firm belief that there would already be asylum seekers on site, with the numbers steadily building up week by week.
“It will be an excellent outcome for the residents of Linton-on-Ouse and all those living in the surrounding areas as well as Hambleton District Council, if the plans are formally scrapped, as we are led to believe that they will be.
“As and when we do receive formal confirmation from Government, we will of course be happy to share this with the local community, who has been understandably concerned for a number of weeks now.”
