Public inquiry ordered for Haslar detention centre expansion
The Planning Inspectorate has ordered a public inquiry into government plans to reopen and vastly expand the Haslar Immigration Removal Centre in Gosport, Hampshire, as a 600-bed detention facility for men. The move follows sustained local opposition, with residents saying the Home Office used a "Crown Development" process to bypass normal council planning routes, denying them the usual chance to object, and that nearby homeowners have seen property values fall by up to £25,000 amid fears they could become "trapped" in unsellable homes.
Haslar closed in 2015 but is due to reopen in 2027, initially with 130 beds before a second phase adds a further 470, taking capacity to 600 beds with around 450 staff — close to Europe's largest facility, Harmondsworth near Heathrow, which holds 676. Residents cite two years of disruptive construction, concerns that three-storey blocks will overlook their gardens, and criticism from Gosport MP Dame Caroline Dinenage, who accused the Home Office of avoiding engagement with locals; the Inspectorate said the inquiry, involving formal cross-examination, was needed given the "considerable local interest" and complexity of the issues raised.
In short
- Public inquiry ordered into 600-bed Haslar detention centre expansion in Gosport
- Residents say homes lost up to £25,000 in value, fear being "trapped"
- Reopening planned for 2027; MP accuses Home Office of avoiding engagement
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A public inquiry gives residents a proper opportunity to test the plans and put concerns about planning, construction, privacy and local effects on the record. Given the scale of the proposed expansion and the dispute over how it was approved, formal scrutiny could help ensure decisions are transparent and affected communities are heard.
The case against
Reopening Haslar could provide substantial immigration detention capacity in a facility the government considers suitable, with phased construction allowing it to come into use sooner. Using the Crown Development process may be defended as a way to progress nationally important infrastructure, while an inquiry can examine local objections without necessarily displacing the government’s broader responsibility to manage immigration.
Explained simply
Immigration removal centres hold people detained while the government considers or arranges their removal from the UK. Haslar, in Gosport, Hampshire, closed in 2015; the Home Office plans to reopen it in stages from 2027, eventually providing space for 600 men and employing about 450 staff.
The Home Office used a Crown Development process for the plans, rather than the usual council planning route. Residents say this limited their opportunity to object and have raised concerns about construction, the scale of the buildings and effects on nearby homes. Gosport MP Dame Caroline Dinenage has also criticised the department’s engagement with the community.
Planning decisions can be examined at a public inquiry, where evidence is heard and witnesses may be questioned. The proposed centre’s size, the planning process and the objections from local people are among the issues relevant to understanding the plans and their impact on Gosport.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Inspectors announce public inquiry into Government plan for one of Europe’s biggest immigrant detention centre holding 600 on seafront site”.