Priory may become immigration centre

Asylum seekers facing deportation may be held at Thremhall Priory

The Government remains committed to controversial plans for an immigration removal centre in the Stansted area of Essex.

The Home Office is now looking in more detail at one of three possible sites, Thremhall Priory, on the A120 close to both the airport and its junction with the M11 motorway.

Uttlesford District Council, which was made aware of the Government's latest position at a meeting with Home Office officials, remains opposed to the plans.

The immigration removal centre would accommodate up to 300 people - less than half the 700 originally proposed.

The centre would hold asylum seekers as they wait for deportation and would be designed to be secure.

Any new development outside the airport boundary would potentially be in conflict with the council's policy of ensuring that the airport should remain 'an airport in the countryside' Uttlesford District Council

In April 2002 the Home Secretary confirmed that a complex would be built within reach of Stansted.

The three possible sites identified for the centre included the old terminal at Stansted Airport, unoccupied Smiths Farm at Great Dunmow and Thremhall Priory at Takeley.

Thremhall Priory is an unoccupied listed building closer to the airport perimeter and under the current flight path.

The district council said all three sites were unsuitable but, if the Government insisted on such a facility in the area, it should be at the airport, as is the case with the centres at Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

A council spokesman said the Government was fully aware of its position.

"The airport is a very large site. Any new development outside the airport boundary would potentially be in conflict with the council's policy of ensuring that the airport should remain 'an airport in the countryside'."

Against it

Takeley Parish Council chairman Trevor Allen said he deplored the Home Office decision to look in more detail at the old priory, which is on the parish boundary with Stansted.

"We are totally against it and we don't want it - it's as plain as that.

"It should be in the confines of the airport where they would have more control and the people waiting for deportation would be on tap.

"They have not given it a lot of thought. They seem to have stuck a pin in a map and found somewhere to put it."

Council Leader Alan Dean said the council was also concerned that a recreation area for children and adults at the proposed centre would be adjacent to the busy A120, which also raised safety concerns.

A Home Office spokesman said no final decision had been made on a site for the centre.

The spokesman said they were aware the district council favoured a complex at within the airport boundary but no such site had been offered to the Home Office.