Villagers voice fears over asylum centre plan

Residents living near a former RAF base being considered as accommodation for asylum seekers have spoken of their concerns about the impact on their community.

The Home Office is considering using the former RAF Linton-on-Ouse site, near York, to house up to 1,200 asylum seekers - although no final decision has been made.

Some villagers said they were worried about the scale of the proposal and a lack of information about what it could mean for the area.

Resident Howard Cooper said: "Probably only 300 men live in the village at the moment and you're looking at putting five times that on a site close by."

The government has said activities and transport would be provided to minimise the impact on local communities, but Cooper questioned how that would work in practice.

"If you're going to transport 1,200 people you're going to need 40 coaches, so that's 80 movements a day to get people off the base," he said.

"It's just unworkable and very worrying."

Cooper said the uncertainty had affected people living in the village, adding that his wife felt "very intimidated about the whole thing".

"She's developed a sickness in the stomach as a result and doesn't feel well. It's not good for people's mentality," he added.

Sarah Walker, who moved to the village after the first proposal was scrapped by the government in August 2022, said residents had been left frustrated by what they saw as a lack of communication.

"It's been really stressful, not knowing what's going on, not getting any straight answers, and not being told in the first place," she said.

Walker questioned what opportunities would be available to people housed on the site, saying public transport links in the village were limited.

She also said the proposal had come as a surprise, because plans to use the base for asylum accommodation were previously rejected.

"We built our lives here," she said. "We thought it wasn't going to happen."

Caroline Jones, who lives close to the former base on Linton Meadows, said many residents were worried because they had received little information about the plans.

"Not knowing what's going to happen, it's on our minds the whole time at the moment," she said.

Jones said people living on her street backed on to the former camp and feared the proposal could affect daily life in the village.

She said: "Walking through the village we'll come across people we've never seen before, they don't know this village, they don't know where they're going."

She added: "We've heard absolutely nothing from the Home Office.

"Nobody cares about us in this beautiful little village."

Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the proposed site "is not appropriate and the government should stop the plan.

"A small village in Yorkshire should not have to deal with that scale. There are only 600 people in that village," she said.

A government spokesperson said: "Discussions over these sites are in an early stage and remain subject to planning permission, feasibility assessments, and due diligence, which will include engagement with local stakeholders and communities.

"No final decisions to proceed will be taken until all necessary arrangements, assessments and approvals are in place and have been properly considered."

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