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Fury as £3.4m contract agreed for huge UK migrant camp
The Home Office has commissioned detailed plans for a proposed camp for up to 931 asylum seekers at the former RAF Barnham site, near Thetford. The £3.4 million contract has drawn criticism because no final decision has been made about using the site, which has also faced local protests.
The contract with Kier, signed in October and published this week, is worth £3,400,411.27 and covers refurbishment and modular-site plans. The government is considering three former military bases as alternatives to hotel accommodation and intends to use a fast-track planning process, but no application for Barnham has been published. A local councillor and the Barnham Residents Association have questioned the spending and called for clarity on the likely total cost; the Home Office says alternative sites are part of a plan to close asylum hotels and would have round-the-clock security and CCTV.
In short
- Plans are being drawn up for accommodation for up to 931 asylum seekers.
- Kier’s design contract is worth £3.4 million.
- The Home Office says no final site decision has been made.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Commissioning detailed plans could be a prudent way to assess whether the former RAF site can provide secure accommodation and help end costly reliance on hotels; planning work does not itself commit the government to opening the camp. Given the scale of the proposal, early preparation may also help officials compare sites and understand the costs before making a final decision.
The case against
Spending £3.4 million before deciding whether to use Barnham risks wasting public money, particularly when the contract covers substantial refurbishment and modular-site plans and the eventual total cost remains unclear. Residents and local representatives can reasonably argue that government should explain the likely expense and address community concerns before advancing a proposal through fast-track planning.
Explained simply
People seeking asylum are people who have asked the UK for protection and are waiting for a decision on their claims. The Home Office is responsible for providing accommodation while they wait; many are currently housed in hotels, which the government says it wants to stop using.
Former military sites are being considered as larger accommodation centres. The former RAF Barnham site is near Thetford in Norfolk, and the proposal is for modular buildings and refurbished facilities for up to 931 people. Kier is the construction company commissioned to draw up detailed plans.
The contract pays for planning work, rather than confirming that the camp will be built. Local residents and a councillor have raised questions about the spending and the site’s possible overall cost, while the Home Office says it is considering alternative sites with security measures.