Council loses court bid to block asylum seekers plan for Essex base

A assembly has mislaid its High Court bid to artifact authorities plans to location asylum seekers astatine a erstwhile RAF base.

The Home Office wants to location 1,700 big antheral migrants astatine MDP Wethersfield successful agrarian Essex, making it the UK's largest asylum accommodation centre.

Braintree District Council wanted an injunction, arguing the proposals were a "flagrant breach" of readying laws.

Mr Justice Waksman said helium did not person the ineligible powerfulness to assistance the council's application.

"Braintree District Council says this is each astir outgo - but I bash not judge that," helium said, giving a ruling successful London connected Friday.

"It is besides a question of the wide sustainability of the edifice options going forward.

"Provision of the accommodation for the asylum seekers is not conscionable an enactment for the location caput - but a statutory obligation."

The justice said that portion helium ruled successful favour of Home Secretary Suella Braverman, helium would automatically nonstop the lawsuit to the Court of Appeal due to the fact that it had large implications.

"It is important for some section authorities and cardinal authorities to cognize wherever they basal arsenic soon arsenic possible," helium added.

However, the council's barrister Wayne Beglan said: "They are not emergencies capable to warrant circumventing the mean readying controls."

The authorities has said it wants to halt putting up asylum seekers successful hotels, which it has estimated costs £6.2m per day.

It said 48,000 retired of 109,000 asylum seekers successful the UK, arsenic of March this year, were successful hotels.

The airfield tract covers astir 335 hectares and is located 10 miles from the nearest railway presumption successful Braintree.

The assembly antecedently argued it was excessively "isolated" for the accommodation.

There is nary longer an RAF beingness astatine Wethersfield, betwixt the towns of Braintree and Haverhill, but it is utilized for Ministry of Defence Police training.