Whilst I was Home Secretary, decisive action was taken to place a cap on the number of individuals accommodated at Wethersfield after clear evidence showed that overcrowding increased pressures and risks. That cap, alongside a defined timeline for closure, was put in place to protect both the site and the surrounding community.
When Labour tore up these commitments, leaving our community with no end in sight, I called publicly for the site to close. I have consistently pressed the Home Office by writing to successive Home Secretaries and Immigration Ministers and securing meetings to demand closure of the site. My message has been clear, the site is unsuitable and should close immediately, and certainly before the closure date laid in the Special Development Order (SDO) of April 2027.
As your local MP, I have consistently stated that Wethersfield is not an appropriate location for an asylum centre. I have met with and listened to residents and acted on their concerns, pushing for an enhanced police presence to help protect the community.
This situation is unfair on our community and unsustainable in the long term. That is why I am calling for the immediate closure of the site and absolutely no later than the timeframe set out in the Special Development Order of April 2027.
Your local MP, Sir James Cleverly, is calling on the Labour Government to:
1. Honour the legally agreed closure date of the Wethersfield Asylum Accommodation Centre in Spring 2027, with no extensions.
2. Rule out permanently any use of Wethersfield Airfield as a prison site.
3. Guarantee that any future use of the site will be decided in full consultation with the local community, not imposed from Westminster.
Local people have had enough, and they are right. That’s why I’m calling for the Wethersfield site to be closed immediately. Make your voice heard by signing my petition.
