"The Home Office have a lot of work to do" - Next phase of Haslar Immigration Removal Centre plans shared with residents
Details about the next phase of plans for the Haslar Immigration Removal Centre have been shared with the neighbouring residents - with calls to make sure that their views are listened to.
It comes ahead of a planning application which will be submitted to Gosport Borough Council for the second phase of a two-stage plan to bring the facility back into use as part of the government’s measures to deal with the backlog of asylum applications.
Residents at the meeting on Friday (October 10) at Thorngate Halls were updated about the progress of the works 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.
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.
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.
Artists’ impressions where also shared with residents at the meeting.
However when the Home Office was asked by The News to provide details about Phase Two, share its drawings of the proposed facilities or outline any timescale for when a planning application would be submitted to Gosport Borough Council, it declined to provide any information.
However a Home Office spokesperson said it would be listening to residents.
In a statement they said: “We are committed to ramping up the removal of those with no right to be here and opening Haslar IRC will boost this effort.
“We were grateful for the opportunity to speak to local residents and will be taking residents’ views and feedback into account in our planning applications.”
Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage was at the meeting and took to social media afterwards to say it is important that residents’ concerns are taken into account, and that information is shared with the local community.
She said: “Like everyone else I was seeing the plans for Phase Two of the site for the first time.
“Let’s just say the Home Office have a lot of work to do before these plans are in a state that any local residents, myself included, will find acceptable.
“They suggest the height of some of these new buildings will be three stories, I think that’s too high.
“I was also concerned that some people struggled to find the right Home Office person to answer their questions. It is really important that local concerns are prioritised if this development is to succeed, and despite the information on display and the large number of Home Office staff present, it wasn't always easy to find answers to specific questions.
“I will continue to do what I can to keep residents informed and make sure that’s residents’ voices are heard.
“There is now a dedicated contact address at [email protected] for local people to ask questions and share their thoughts.”
The News also contacted the MP for a further comment about the progress of the project.