Media release: Planned Wethersfield asylum centre site heavily contaminated and unsafe

Tuesday 18th April 2023

A new report shows that there is a high risk to people of contamination from military waste at Wethersfield airbase, where the Home Office intends to establish a large asylum centre. This includes radioactive materials and unexploded ordnance.

The geo-environmental report shows there are many sources of potential contamination on the airbase due to the site’s history as an RAF and USAF base. There is a high risk to future site users such as residents, visitors, staff and construction workers and ‘significant challenges’ to achieving safe development of the airbase.

The report was commissioned by Wethersfield Airbase Scrutiny Committee (WASC), a collaborative initiative between 13 Parish Councils, in response to proposals by the Government to develop the site. The Home Office revealed last month that it plans to put a large asylum centre at the airbase to house up to 2,000 asylum seekers. The Ministry of Justice is also proposing to build a mega prison at the same site for over 3,400 inmates, which would be Europe’s largest prison if it goes ahead.

Andrew Hull, chairman of WASC says: “This report confirms that the contamination risks at Wethersfield airbase are potentially widespread and concentrated and pose a serious risk to peoples’ health. Based on the previous use of the site as a military base there is high potential for future site users to be affected by radioactive materials and other hazards.

“The report’s authors have explained that before anyone works at or stays at the base, their recommendations to assess and plan how to mitigate the site’s contamination hazards need to be implemented. This is likely to take up to two years given the size of the airbase, and the fact that contamination could be present at almost any location across this very large site.

“It is clear that to go ahead with any use or development of the airbase without first implementing the report’s recommendations would be unsafe.”

Alan MacKenzie, chairman of local residents group The Fields Association, says: “The potential extent of the contamination makes the airbase totally inappropriate for housing people or any large development – it’s not suitable for either an asylum centre or prison. The site should be returned to the community for proper consideration of its use for the benefit of people living in the area.

“We strongly urge the Government to stop its plans for the asylum centre and the mega prison and instead address the urgent need to clean up the contamination of the site, which should never have been permitted to happen.”

The report identifies 20 potential sources of contamination, with the most widespread and concentrated likely to be: bulk fuel storage, waste hydrocarbons, solvents, construction and demolition materials, radioactivity, firefighting and waste disposal. There is also a moderate to high risk of unexploded ordnance at the site.

Surface waters, groundwater and potable water supplies are likely to be contaminated by surface water drainage or runoff from any development at the site.

The authors, global consultants Buro Happold Ltd, propose nine actions to mitigate the contamination risks, and these actions are expected to take up to two years to implement. They include: accessing Ministry of Defence information on the location of contamination sources, an unexploded ordnance risk assessment, consulting radioactivity and explosives specialists, a health & safety plan, chemical analyses, and development of a remediation strategy and associated verification plan.

Clarification sought on Environmental Impact Assessment decision

In March the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, issued a decision that an asylum centre at the airbase would not be likely to have significant effects on the environment. There is no reference in the decision to appropriate technical input or evidence (for example a ground desk study and if required a ground investigation and mitigation strategy). WASC has obtained guidance from Buro Happold on Mr Gove’s decision, which explains the importance of such technical input and calls for clarification on the basis for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) decision. This guidance has been shared with the Home Office and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for a response. 

Read the full geo-environmental report here.

Read the guidance note on the Environmental Impact Assessment decision here.

Further information about WASC is available on their website.