Legal challenge to plan to house asylum seekers in airbases gets go-ahead

Two councils and a local man say home secretary should not use ‘emergency’ planning rule at RAF Scampton and Wethersfield

A high court judge has ruled that two councils and a local resident can proceed with a legal challenge to the government about whether or not it is lawful to place thousands of asylum seekers on two military bases.

West Lindsey district council is challenging the plans to move people into the RAF Scampton site in Lincolnshire, while Braintree district council and a local man, Gabriel Clarke-Holland, are bringing a case over moves to Wethersfield airbase in north Essex, where the Home Office started placing asylum seekers on Wednesday.