Star Metro - Essex council hires private guards as Wethersfield asylum centre expands

Essex County Council plans to hire private security guards in Braintree, Colchester and Chelmsford as the Wethersfield asylum centre temporarily increases its capacity by 50 per cent.

The Reform-controlled authority said Operation Vanguard would place two security personnel in each of the three areas for an initial three months, funded by council-tax revenue. The former RAF site is due to expand from 800 residents to 1,245.

Council leader Peter Harris criticised the Home Office for operating 17 minibuses between the centre and the three nearby towns and cities. He said residents, particularly women and girls, had raised safety concerns and argued that the centre's induction process did not adequately explain British cultural expectations or acceptable behaviour towards women.

Harris also questioned why residents were transported away from a centre equipped with a gym, fitness room, football pitch, indoor sports hall, dining facilities, mobile phones and free calls. He has previously compared the site with a holiday camp.

Braintree Council said the Home Office planned to add 445 places from the end of July, with no more than 60 additional people arriving each week. The former military base was opened by the Conservative government in 2023 as it sought to reduce the number of asylum seekers housed in hotels.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has backed proposals for a wider geographic distribution of asylum accommodation, saying wealthier areas should take a fair share rather than concentrating placements in poorer communities. She said the government was pursuing a mix of military sites, former student housing, bedsits and houses in multiple occupation, while acknowledging that the transition would take time.

S.Lapointe--SMC