Thames Water warns asylum seekers will face insects and strong smells due to nearby sewage pumping station

Thames Water has objected to the Government’s plan to expand Campsfield House immigration removal centre in Oxfordshire, warning that accommodation close to a sewage pumping station could expose residents to strong smells, insects and other disturbances. The objection adds to the obstacles facing the proposed expansion and has prompted criticism from a rights charity over sanitation and residents’ wellbeing.

The proposed accommodation would be about 20 metres from the station, and Thames Water has also warned that development could increase the risk of sewage flooding. The Home Office wants to raise the centre’s capacity from 160 to 400, while Oxfordshire County Council has objected; a public inquiry is due on 14 December. Campsfield House reopened last December, having closed in 2018 after problems including riots, escapes and suicides.