Andy Burnham accused of ‘bypassing’ locals to fast-track new migrant camps at army bases

PM ANDY Burnham has been blasted for “bypassing” local communities’ opinions to open migrant camps. Planning permission for two controversial sites at disused Army bases are to be signed off by Housing Secretary Angela Rayner instead of local planning committees. Andy Burnham has been accused of ‘bypassing’ locals to fast-track new migrant camps at army bases Credit: AFP Planning permission for two controversial sites at disused Army bases are to be signed off by instead of local planning committees Credit: Getty The fast-tracked process can be used for projects deemed to be of national importance — but multiple MPs have branded the move undemocratic. There is no requirement for a formal public consultation, but applications must still “engage with the community”. Sign up for the Politics newsletter Thank you! It comes after the PM said middle-class areas needed to “play their part” and take in more asylum seekers, even if that is more costly. Nick Timothy, the Tory MP for West Suffolk, near the RAF Barnham site, said the process was being used to “cut out local people”. Terry Jermy, the Labour MP for South West Norfolk, said: “The risk for the current government is that we are quite rightly focusing on devolution and power to local communities and this process would seem to be the opposite to that. “There’s a contradiction in our approach.” Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester & Woodstock, called it “an affront to democracy”. He added: “The government is deliberately bypassing the views of local representatives and people to ram this through. Most read in The Sun RAF Barnham in Suffolk Credit: PA The move comes after the PM said middle-class areas needed to ‘play their part’ and take in more asylum seekers, even if that is more costly Credit: Supplied “Andy Burnham has said that the era of Whitehall dictating to communities is over. This is his chance to show that he means it.” A government spokesperson said it was “ensuring members of the public will be able to submit their views” and pointed to their commitment to ending the use of asylum hotels. 1 comment1