Hambleton District Council has cautiously welcomed the Government’s decision to scrap a planned asylum reception centre.

The plans would have seen more than 1,000 men aged between 18 and 40 housed at a former RAF base in Linton-on-Ouse while their applications were processed.

The Home Office argued that the centre would mean those seeking asylum would no longer be placed in hotels, saving the taxpayer £4.7m a day.

However, the council launched a legal challenge against the plans, arguing that there had been a lack of consultation.

Defence secretary Ben Wallace has now reportedly confirmed that RAF Linton has been withdrawn as an option for an asylum reception centre.

Welcoming the news, council leader Mark Robson said: ‘We are yet to be formally notified by the Home Office that RAF Linton is no longer being considered and until we receive this notification, the legal work I talked about in my previous statement remains ongoing.

‘Had we as a council not intervened with this proposal and challenged the Government when we were first made aware of its plans, it is my firm belief that there would already be asylum seekers on site, with the numbers steadily building up week by week.

‘It will be an excellent outcome for the residents of Linton-on-Ouse and all those living in the surrounding areas as well as Hambleton District Council, if the plans are formally scrapped, as we are led to believe that they will be.

‘As and when we do receive formal confirmation from Government, we will of course be happy to share this with the local community, who has been understandably concerned for a number of weeks now.’