The Government has been urged to make good on its pledge to close Wethersfield Asylum Centre in 2027, as the surrounding property market “collapses”.
James Cleverly, former Secretary of State for the Home and Foreign Offices and the Department for Education, is currently the Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The Wethersfield centre, a former RAF station used as a Ministry of Defence Police training centre until 2022, sits close to the border with Uttlesford.
RAF Wethersfield
It has been housing asylum seekers since July 12, 2023. It has permission to hold around 1,250 immigrants with an agreement to operate until April 2027, with up to six months decommissioning afterwards.
Mr Cleverly has written to the Home Office minister, Alex Norris, demanding assurances that the closure promise will be met.
He said the uncertainty around the future of the site was having a corrosive impact on the village, its primary school, homeowners, and businesses.
James Cleverly
His letter said: “The site is creating real problems in the local area. House sales have collapsed, new families are not moving into the area, and parents are increasingly unwilling to send their children to the local primary school. Its roll is falling and is at risk of closure due to financial and viability.”
He said that the “negative impact is not just on the local communities”, adding that “asylum seekers housed at the site are transported to surrounding towns and villages with little to do other than hang around”.
He said: “Groups of bored young men in any circumstances are intimidating, and local shopkeepers have reported declining footfall. These developments are contributing to rising tension and division within communities that have already shown considerable patience and cooperation. The local community has more than met its implied obligations. The Government must now meet its own.”
Wethersfield asylum centre
A Home Office spokesperson said: “This Government will close every asylum hotel and work is well underway, with more suitable sites, such as military bases, being brought forward to ease pressure on communities and cut asylum costs.”
Hundreds of flag-waving protestors marched through Braintree town centre on Saturday (January 31) to protest against the use of Wethersfield for asylum seekers.
They were joined by right-wing agitator and convicted criminal Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
The district council cancelled the town’s market to ensure public safety.