The Government’s plan to house asylum seekers on a former RAF airbase has been put on hold after Braintree District Council sought an injunction to stop the move.
The council argues the Wethersfield Airfield is an unsuitable site to house asylum seekers because of the lack of capacity in local services and the base’s isolated location.
The local authority also says the scale of the development proposed could have a ‘significant impact upon the local community.’
The council has secured an agreement from the High Court for a full injunction to be heard on 19 April 2023.
The Home Office said they will not move asylum seekers on to Wethersfield Airfield until after the court hearing and will only do so if they succeed in defending their position against the injunction.
However, they began preparing the site for asylum seeker accommodation last Thursday.
