Wethersfield local Andrew Hall has hit out at the planned expansion of the asylum seeker facility at the former RAF base near his home.
Speaking to GB News, Hall has accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of “breaking pre-election promises” to close the centre.
It has been revealed that the Home Office intends to increase the facility’s capacity by 60 per cent, despite earlier commitments.
The village currently has a population of 707 people and the Home Office plans to boost the number of migrants at MDP Wethersfield to 800, making them “outnumber” village residents.
Wethersfield local Andrew Hall has hit out at the planned expansion of the asylum seeker facility
GB NEWS
Hall told GB News: “This is a deeply rural community, so we’re now quite accustomed to Keir saying one thing before the election and another thing afterwards.
“You can just ask a farmer about inheritance tax, for example. It’s just another example of the level of distrust between communities and the government.
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“The benefit of living somewhere for a lifetime is that you get to know people who’ve worked at the base firefighters, ex-military staff, personnel, contractor sand there have always been numerous horror stories about things that may have been buried or dumped here.
“When they proposed building the largest prison complex here, we decided to hire the services of one of the leading experts in the country, from Bureau Supports, a world-class consultancy, to help analyse the potential risks of this site.
“We now have an extensive 60-page report, which cost the parish councils a significant amount of money.
“The report identified a huge number of class one hazards that could be found anywhere on the site due to its military history.
“It clearly stated that the site posed severe risks of high consequences to human health as it stood, and that before anyone steps foot on it, a series of surveys should be conducted.
“The Home Office initially ignored these findings and moved ahead, putting 550 people at risk.”
Villagers say they no longer feel safe in their own community. Many report concerns about anti-social behaviour from groups of men roaming the area.
The Home Office initially ignored these findings
PA
“We don’t feel safe walking the streets and country lanes at night,” one resident told reporters.
Those living nearest to the former RAF airfield face additional challenges. Property values have plummeted, with some houses becoming effectively unsellable.
The base has undergone several transformations over the years. It previously served as the Ministry of Defence Police headquarters.