Home Office denies Sunday Times report that St George's Barracks will be used to house asylum seekers

The Home Office has denied a report that army barracks in the area could be used to accommodate asylum seekers.

Over the Easter weekend, The Sunday Times published an article stating St George’s Barracks in North Luffenham could house about 2,200 people who don’t currently have the right to live in the UK.

According to the national newspaper, the barracks, which is one of about 120 Ministry of Defence sites due for disposal, appears on a Home Office list of potential locations where migrant families could live.

A Home Office spokesperson has since said this is not the case - although they are trying to reduce the number of asylum seekers in hotel accommodation because of the huge cost involved.

The spokesperson said: “The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain.

“We have been clear that the use of hotels to house asylum seekers is unacceptable – there are currently more than 51,000 asylum seekers in hotels costing the UK taxpayer £6 million a day.

“The Home Office is committed to making every effort to reduce hotel use and limit the burden on the taxpayer.”

According to The Sunday Times, Government officials were asked to look for 25,000 places suitable for families with young children and St George's Barracks - it said - would have been the largest.

A spokesperson for Rutland County Council said: "We are aware of national media reports that mention St George’s Barracks in North Luffenham as a possible site for accommodation to house migrant families seeking asylum in the UK.

"Rutland County Council has had no contact from the Government in relation to this, while it’s unclear to what extent local authorities have been consulted in areas where surplus military sites are already confirmed as being used for migrant accommodation.

"The council has approached the Home Office and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to ask for clarification on the Government’s plans to accommodate asylum seekers entering the UK and whether these plans do include St George’s Barracks."

St George’s Barracks is due to close in 2026.

In March 2021, Rutland County Council rejected £29.4m from the Government that would have supported a redevelopment of the MoD site, turning it into a ‘garden village’ with 2,245 new homes and facilities including a new school and health centre.

A campaign group, Fight4Rutland, was set up to oppose what it called ‘the disastrous over-development planned for St George’s Barracks’.

Since Rutland County Council’s rejection of the full redevelopment of St George’s Barracks, the MoD has proposed the four-hectare officers’ mess site next to the barracks be developed with 85 homes.

A planning application for this is due to be submitted to Rutland County Council later this year.

Do you think St George’s Barracks should be used to house asylum seekers? Email your views for the letters page to smeditor@stamfordmercury.co.uk