In its application, BM Trust said it wanted to use the former officers’ mess – Jaguar House – and other buildings as accommodation for “a maximum of 200 residents, comprising families with adult women, men and children”.
“We wish to make clear that the current proposal relates to Afghan refugee transitional accommodation and not asylum seekers,” it added.
The company said the people would be able to claim benefits and temporarily register with a GP, with education on-site for pre-school and primary age children, while older ones would be enrolled in local secondary schools.
Food and laundry facilities would also be provided.
Jaguar House is on Jaguar Drive on the edge of the former base, which is north of Norwich.
It said families would stay at the site for nine months, to allow other accommodation to be found, with the government providing funding to cover costs.
“Support will be provided to enable occupants to move on to settled homes and enable them to establish roots and integrate into local communities and begin the path to self-sufficiency,” the firm said.