According to the foreign minister, no one would like to have a migrant base in their constituency.

Border troops escorted 100 migrants to Dover on Tuesday. Photo: LNP/LNP

Foreign Secretary James Cleverley has publicly defended his opposition to his own government's plan to turn a former RAF base in his constituency into a camp for 1,700 asylum seekers.

MP for Braintree said «no one» would want such an institution in their constituency, but he argues that the government's illegal migration bill to address the small boat crisis would mean there would be less need for such large-scale shelter camps in the future.

His comments come days after a local resident filed for judicial review in an attempt to block plans to convert RAF Wethersfield in Mr Cleverley's Braintree constituency into a refuge center for 1,700 single adult male migrants.

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Last month, his local authority, Braintree County Council, failed to get an injunction to block the scheme after the government said it could legally use the power to overturn local planning rules because an asylum crisis is a «national emergency».

Mr Cleverly told Sky News: «Of course no one would want to have such an institution in their constituency…but I want to say that the law we are passing is aimed at reducing the need for such facilities"

< p>Regarding Wethersfield, he added: “I have concerns about the remoteness of the site and the road network around it.

" The bottom line is that if the decision is made, this site should be — and this is not a decision for me to make exclusively — but if it is a decision that is made, I want to make sure that it works efficiently, correctly, and our broader immigration system fit for purpose."

Judicial review

A local resident's filing with the Supreme Court alleges that the move of 1,700 asylum seekers to RAF Wethersfield violates planning laws because ministers failed to consult with the local council and ignored environmental risks and scheme impact.

It was filed by Gabriel Clark-Holland, Accounts Administrator and local resident of Braintree, against Home Secretary Swella Braverman's plan and Level Up Minister Michael Gove's «test» ruling that it would not have a «significant impact» on the environment.

A local council in Lincolnshire is organizing a similar judicial review of plans to turn RAF Scampton — a former Dambusters and Red Arrows base — into a camp for 2,000 asylum seekers.

In documents filed Friday in High Court, West Lindsey District Council said Ms Braverman had acted unlawfully in ignoring a £300m plan to preserve the base's historic runway as an aerospace hub and a new national heritage site that would collapse. as a result.

These are the first steps to test the legitimacy of the government's plans to move asylum seekers to larger locations to reduce the £6 million a day running cost of accommodating 51,000 migrants in hotels. .

Poll on the Migrants Bill

Sally Grindrod-Smith, director of planning for West Lindsey District Council, said: “The council is not taking this judicial review application seriously. However, given the impact of the Home Office's plans on our £300 million investment, we were left with no choice.»

The Board said Ms Braverman had acted unlawfully, «without due regard to key material considerations» at the site, including regeneration plans at a cost of £300. He also said he would break planning rules if he used the former RAF base beyond the 12 months allowed by law for temporary development rights.

Ms Grindrod-Smith said: cases have not been adequately assessed. local factors in deciding whether to use RAF Scampton to host the shelter.

In particular, the local planning context should have been a significant factor in site selection, and we have received no assurance that this is the case. ”

“We do not consider it appropriate to rely on temporary permissioned development rights when it is clear that the site will be used for longer than any temporary permission allows.”