Home Office ‘makes no apology’ for Haslar expansion plans taking away local decision powers
Decisions over the project have been taken away from the local community
The Home Office has defended controversial expansion plans for an immigration detention centre in Gosport following criticism.
Dame Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative MP for Gosport, has raised concerns over proposals for new three-storey buildings as part of the Haslar Immigration Removal Centre’s second phase of development to bring the site back into use.
She has also criticised the Government’s decision to pursue the scheme through the Crown Development route which she argued would remove decision-making powers from Gosport Borough Council and the local community.
As previously reported by The News, works are underway to refurbish the Dolphin Way site to create 130 beds and bring it up to standard following its closure in 2015. It follows an unexpected announcement in 2022 it was to be revamped and brought back into use, with works on this first phase expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
But a second phase will follow creating an additional 600 beds for men to allow higher levels of enforcement and returns for those who have had their claim for asylum rejected.
Writing to the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Dame Caroline also expressed her concern at the updated designs for phase two, which were not included in earlier discussions.
She said: “Planning decisions of this nature should be determined locally, by those with proper knowledge and understanding of the area, its infrastructure, and the impact this development would have on the surrounding community.”
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Dame Caroline added that local councillors were “best placed” to assess the plans and urged the Home Office to submit a standard application to the council instead, warning the current approach risked “minimal scrutiny”.
But responding to the criticism, a Home Office spokesperson said: “We make no apology for investing in facilities that enable us to deport foreign criminals and remove illegal migrants as quickly as possible, having already removed nearly 70,000 people with no right to be here.
“All Crown Development applications require extensive consultation of the local planning authority.”
Previous applications for the site have followed the usual planning route and were submitted to the council. Under Crown Development rules, applications are decided by the Secretary of State rather than the council, although councils are consulted as part of the process.
Dame Caroline argued this change limits the influence of Gosport residents and elected members, warning decision-making could “drift out of reach of local people” as the application nears a key stage.
The Home Office said that application documents are published, and there will be a formal opportunity for people to comment. All views, including those from residents and the council, are considered in the final decision.
The row follows earlier criticism of the scale of the development, with the MP previously saying the proposed accommodation was “too high” when first presented at a public meeting last autumn.
Previously, residents were told the new accommodation buildings will be up to 12 meters high, and have supporting facilities including interview rooms, medical facilities, a cultural kitchen and a shop. There will also be security fencing, with the men detained at the centre unable to leave, and carparking for local residents.
The site is expected to create around 500 jobs when it is open, though the Home Office has declined to confirm any timelines.
It was originally pencilled in for reopening at the end of 2023, however that time scale as slipped significantly as a result of the need to carry out the works at the site.