Labour has scrapped the former Tory government’s plans to house asylum seekers at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire.
Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle said the plan, which has already cost £60m, “fails to deliver value for money for the taxpayer”.
In a written ministerial statement, she said running the site from now until March 2027 would cost a further £122m – taking the total sum “to nearer £200m”.
“This is an unacceptable cost,” she said, adding: “It is now better value for money to exit the site.”
The decision was welcomed by Sir Edward Leigh, the Conservative MP who represents the area.
He wrote on X: “Victory: the two-year battle is over. We have won.”
He added: “We want the full regeneration package to go ahead, and the site not just sold for housing.”
The previous government had planned to house about 1,500 asylum seekers at the now disused RAF Scampton, in the hope of reducing the hotel bill for people who arrive in the UK by small boat, and ultimnately deter them from making the crossing.
The plans were met with opposition from the outset as it threatened a £300m deal by West Lindsey District Council aimed at turning the base into a heritage site.
The airfield, which closed in 2022, is the former home of The Red Arrows aerobatics display team and the Dambusters – the squadron that carried out one of the Second World War’s most famous air raids.
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