The Home Office has informed Braintree District Council it can increase the capacity of Wethersfield asylum centre to 800 now it has satisfied conditions of central government.
Planning conditions allowing Wethersfield asylum centre to raise its capacity to 800 have been approved, the council has learnt.
The Home Office has stated the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is satisfied all conditions of the Special Development Order (SDO), that capped the population at 580, have now been met.
As a result, intake taking the site over the 580 cap is likely to happen next week (week commencing February 10).
The SDO was originally laid before Parliament in April 2024 and bypassed Braintree District Council as the planning authority. It also superseded the Class Q permission, which originally gave the Home Office permission to start work on the site in March 2023. This also bypassed Braintree District Council’s jurisdiction.
Cllr Tom Cunningham, deputy leader of Braintree District Council, said: “We have been made aware all outstanding conditions limiting the asylum centre’s capacity to 580 have now been signed off by MHCLG.
“We understand that the Home Office will conduct a phased increase in population, increasing numbers only when they are satisfied with site readiness. We have been told that, under current conditions, it is estimated the site could reach full capacity of 800 asylum seekers in eight weeks.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and, along with other partners, hold the Home Office to account to ensure that the site runs safely alongside the local community.
“However, this does not change what we have been saying for nearly two years since we first learnt of the Home Office’s plans; this disused airbase in a rural area does not have the infrastructure to host asylum seekers on such a large scale.”
Has the site risen above 580 capacity previously?
Yes. From July 2023 to April 2024, the asylum centre operated under Class Q emergency planning powers, which like the Special Development Order, bypassed Braintree District Council as the planning authority.
Under Class Q, the site capacity could have theoretically reached 1,700, but to our knowledge did not rise above 630.
Braintree District Council is the planning enforcement authority, why doesn’t it shut the site down?
The council opposed the change of use for Wethersfield airfield through various legal challenges in the High Court and through the Court of Appeal, which proved unsuccessful. This is covered in detail on our Wethersfield information page.
Despite this, we have made our position clear; we do not support the use of the site for the accommodation of asylum seekers given the scale of the development, the lack of capacity in local services and its isolated location.
Who runs the site?
Wethersfield asylum centre is a non- detained Home Office accommodation site established on the former RAF Wethersfield airfield. It is operated by Clearsprings Ready Homes on behalf of the Home Office.