Wethersfield Asylum centre to expand and remain beyond 2027

The announcement, made on Thursday evening, means the site’s standard capacity will expand from 800 to 1,245 residents.

The site, located on the former Wethersfield airfield, has been in use since June 2023 under a Special Development Order (SDO) that was set to expire in April 2027.

Braintree Council has opposed the use of the disused airfield as mass asylum accommodation since plans first emerged.

Council leader Tom Cunningham said: “We are bitterly disappointed that, after more than three years of having the UK's largest asylum accommodation centre imposed on this district, it appears it will now stay for an indeterminate amount of time.

“Since March 2023, when the Home Office first told us of their plans, we have been clear that this disused airbase, in a very rural area, does not have the infrastructure to support a site of this scale.”

Protests - Wethersfield Asylum Centre will expand by 55 per cent and remain in operation beyond 2027 (Image: Joe Giddens PA)

He added the expanded capacity will place “sustained strain on the community” which has responded to the situation with “patience, dignity and pragmatism”.

“We have been let down once again by the Home Office, particularly given previous indications from the Prime Minister that Wethersfield would close,” Mr Cunningham said.

“Alongside partners, we have raised more than 1,400 points of discussion with the Home Office in an effort to mitigate the impact of this site.

"Misinformation and disinformation have been allowed to spread unchecked and it has been left to authorities like ours to pick up the pieces of a situation beyond our control.

Protest - Several protest and protest groups have formed in relation to the site and asylum seekers travelling into nearby communities (Image: Michelle Lee)

“We are urgently seeking more details on these proposals and will now carefully scrutinise the legislation the government intends to use to extend the use of this site for the third time.

“At the same time, despite being treated with contempt by this government, we will continue to work constructively with the Home Office and partners to support a safe, well-managed site and secure the best possible outcomes for our communities.”

Since the centre opened, it has been the focus of national and local tensions around asylum policy.

Protests have been held against the camp and the buses which transport asylum seekers into nearby communities, with protests near the base, in Braintree town centre and neighbouring cities.

In January, hundreds of people marched through Braintree, joined by far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

Local anti-racism groups said they were “horrified” at attempts to whip up division.

Movement - Robinson said Michelle Lee's (left) protest was evidence of a movement (Image: Newsquest)

Campaigners and charities have also raised concerns about conditions and the impact on residents’ mental health at what they describe as an isolated, institutional site.

Clearsprings Ready Homes, who operates multiple asylum sites on behalf of the Home Office, has faced criticism over standards of overcrowding, food quality and basic living conditions in some of its properties and hotels.

BBC reporting has found Clearsprings paid £140,000 in civil penalties to Swindon Borough Council after breaching regulations – but has made almost £187million in profits since being awarded lucrative government contracts.