The abortive proposal to accommodate asylum seekers at RAF Scampton has left the Home Office with a hefty £48m bill. The scheme, originally conceived by the preceding Conservative government, was discarded in 2024 by the incoming Labour administration. RAF Scampton, a historic Lincolnshire location once used by the Dambusters, was the proposed site for the asylum housing.
Hamish Falconer, Lincoln’s Labour MP, has demanded accountability from Robert Jenrick, the Conservative minister who was in charge at the time the plans were drafted. Mr Falconer critiqued the persistence to pursue a scheme that not only faced local resistance but also escalating financial implications. If the project had not been terminated, it could have resulted in deficits of an estimated £180m over the subsequent three years, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The government has confessed to spending an approximate £60m on the site, of which £48.5m is currently considered a loss according to recent Home Office accounts. As attempts are made to recover some of these costs, the former airbase has gone up for sale. Potential investors may include the West Lindsey District Council as they have declared an ambitious £300m makeover for the area.
Please note, the original report was crafted by www.bbc.com and later customised by the Lincoln Post for its audience.
