The Home Office has scaled back its plans to house asylum seekers at RAF Barnham, reducing the proposed capacity from 1,250 people to 931. The original application to convert the military base, near Thetford on the Norfolk-Suffolk border, was withdrawn on October 13, with a revised bid lodged the following day.
The revised proposal cuts 319 places, more than a quarter of the initial figure. The Home Office said the change reflected an “amended layout” following its ongoing assessment of the site. No final decision has been made on whether the base will be used to accommodate asylum seekers.
Revised application details
The plans have faced strong opposition from residents and local authorities since they were first announced in June. West Suffolk Council, Norfolk County Council and Breckland Council have all opposed the scheme. Concerns have also been raised about the condition of the former military site, which was previously used to store munitions and nuclear weapons.
Significant work would be needed to upgrade its sewerage and utilities before it could accommodate hundreds of people. The Eastern Daily Press previously reported that the base has only 320 existing bed spaces, with many of its units in disrepair. Under the revised proposal, more than 600 additional beds would still need to be created.
Accommodation and opposition
The plans involve converting existing buildings and bringing in modular accommodation, alongside healthcare, welfare and staff facilities. All those housed at the site would be male and would be free to come and go. Costs associated with surveys, assessments and renovation work are already reported to have reached millions of pounds, despite no final decision having been taken.
The development is being pursued through the Urgent Crown Development process, which allows the Government to bypass much of the usual local planning scrutiny. The Home Office previously indicated that it hoped to begin moving the first asylum seekers into the site before Christmas.
Local tensions and wider context
Opposition has included regular protests outside the base, while some villagers in Barnham have discussed holding a symbolic referendum on leaving the UK, following a similar idea in Piddington, near MoD Bicester in Oxfordshire. Supporters of the campaign against the plans have also pointed to protections for the stone curlew, a rare bird that nests around the site, as a possible obstacle to the development.
RAF Barnham is one of several former military sites being considered for asylum accommodation, alongside Bicester and MoD Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire. The proposals have also been linked to tensions in nearby Thetford, where disorder broke out in August and police escorted asylum seekers living in houses of multiple occupation from their homes.
The revised application follows reports that Home Office officials had privately told councillors the original figure of 1,250 was only an “illustration”, with the eventual number potentially being “a lot more”. A Home Office spokesman said: “We continue to explore the use of MoD Barnham for asylum accommodation. The revised application reflects an amended layout linked to our ongoing assessment of the site. The Government is working on a fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country, with over £1bn saved in costs since the election. This includes closing all asylum hotels and moving to alternative accommodation, including former military sites.”
