Campaigners in the North Yorkshire village of Linton-on-Ouse have written to the Chancellor demanding an urgent financial inquiry into Labour's plan to house 1,200 migrants at a former RAF base, warning the temporary facility could cost taxpayers £270.9million.
The scheme, which would see a disused airbase transformed into asylum accommodation, has thrown the village of just 700 residents into turmoil. Locals argue that housing up to 1,200 migrants at the site could cost up to six times more per night than using hotels.
Campaign Group Demands Treasury Review
In an open letter addressed to Chancellor John Healey, campaign group Linton Action demanded an immediate financial review before public funds are committed to the project. The group projected that housing asylum seekers at the former RAF site could cost £270.9million across a condensed 23-month operational window.
With the site potentially required to be handed back to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) by July 2029, and factoring in a mandatory six-month decommissioning period, the centre may operate for less than two years. At lower occupancy levels, this drives the estimated cost to £443 to £853 per occupied bed per night, compared to the standard hotel benchmark of £144.98 per night.
Occupancy Concerns and Historical Context
Speaking on GB News, Linton Action Group spokesperson Professor Olga Matthias said: "It's based on the fact that you've got all the set-up costs, all the decommissioning costs, you've then got a projected cost of about £240 a night, assuming full occupancy."
"Now, looking at all the bases that have been used so far... they operate on between 30-50% occupancy, and so if it is projected at £240 a night, when you drop that to 50% occupancy, that shoots up," she added.
Plans to turn the disused airfield into an asylum accommodation centre were originally proposed under Boris Johnson's administration in 2022, but were scrapped after the MoD withdrew permission. Activists highlight that reviving the scheme will require massive spending on utility upgrades, including water, electricity and sewage infrastructure, which have deteriorated since the base closed in 2019. Further public funds will be required for healthcare, policing, transport and site restoration.
Financial Impact and Political Backlash
The letter, reported by YorkshireLive, also cites a National Audit Office (NAO) report from March 2024, which revealed that the initial large-scale asylum accommodation programme exceeded hotel costs by £46million and racked up £2.9million in wasted spending on the previously abandoned Linton-on-Ouse project.
Campaigners warn that a temporary facility risks derailing long-term plans by York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith to redevelop the site for local housing and commercial growth. TaxPayers' Alliance director William Yarwood slammed the "outrageous waste," warning taxpayers are being "hammered by the eye-watering cost of illegal migration," while Robert Bates of the Centre for Migration Control accused Whitehall of a "heavy-handed approach" that leaves the public to "stump up an exorbitant amount of money."
Local MP Sir Alec Shelbrooke backed residents, stating "the only people supporting this plan are the Labour Government." Campaigners have said they have had no contact from ministers since the plans were revived four months ago.
A Home Office spokesperson defended the policy, stating: "The Government is closing every asylum hotel, saving taxpayers over £1bn on asylum support since the election."
"We are working to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, moving asylum seekers into alternative accommodation, including former military sites which are designed to be self-contained to reduce impact on the local community," they added. "As part of the process, we engage with local authorities and police forces to ensure the safety and security of those in the surrounding area."
