We live next to huge migrant detention centre which will triple in size – we were lied to & now we’re trapped

RESIDENTS living next to a proposed immigration detention centre have said they are “prisoners” in their own homes after plans were revealed to triple its size. The proposals to expand Haslar Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) in Gosport, Hampshire, has sparked fury with homeowners. Brits living by a proposed immigration detention centre say they are ‘prisoners’ in their own homes Credit: Solent It comes after plans were unveiled to triple in size, with locals saying they were ‘lied to’ about its size Credit: Solent People living by the controversial detainment site claim they have been “lied to” about its size with plans indicating it will become three-storeys high. The seaside residents say that they have seen their house prices drop by as much as £25,000 after the plans were introduced and feel that they are “trapped” because they are not able to sell their homes. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Some have also said that the building process has been two years of “hell on Earth“, where they are unable to sleep because of the constant construction noise starting in the early hours of the morning. The detention centre – which will have 600 beds provided for the detained men who will be unable to leave the centre or access the local area – has been a nightmare for residents who feel they will be “overlooked” by the detainees. Some locals have said the building process has been two years of ‘hell on Earth’ Credit: Solent Dave Wakefield, 69, said he and his wife were ‘worried’ Credit: Solent Haslar immigration removal centre is set to increase its capacity from 198 beds to 600 beds. It is being refurbished after shutting down in 2015 following a parliamentary review, which highlighted immigration detention as “expensive and damaging to detainees”. Dave Wakefield has lived directly opposite the site with his wife Katie for 27 years said “of course we are worried about it”. He said: “We know it is going to be different. How can you go from 150 to 600 people? Most read in The Sun “Now we have seen everything that has gone on, and it is getting bigger and bigger. The people who are going there are criminals, so I have no time of day for them.” He questioned the planning process and how it was to be governed, saying “normally issues like this are sorted out by the boroughs”. “Of course we are worried about it. When they were here before, people were trying to break out. If that happened then when it wasn’t people that were criminals, and when it is 600 people and only 450 staff, you can imagine,” he added. A woman who lives only 50 metres away from the centre and wanted to stay anonymous said that she had been searching for who she should contact about mitigating the damage the centre will cause. She said: “At the moment we are prisoners in our own homes. We can’t sell our properties. They are unsellable. “We are trapped. We feel like prisoners. We can’t go on social media and voice our concerns because if you do you do you get trolled. Many locals are concerned about house prices dropping and feeling ‘trapped’ in their homes Credit: Solent The centre is set to increase its capacity from 198 to 600 beds Credit: Solent “It is nothing to do with the political side of things, it is about a way of life. It is about mental health. We feel we are being run roughshod over. “They just aren’t taking into consideration the close proximity of it.” The woman said she had experienced “hell on Earth” while the construction has been going on because of the ‘antisocial behaviour’ of builders creating massive amounts of noise at 6am and blocking her car in. She said that the amount of dust generated during the building work has made her worry for her health, and she feels like she can’t leave any of her windows open, even in the sweltering heat. Another resident, Sandra Card, whose house backs out onto the development, said that she felt she had been lied to about the plans as she believed it was only going to be two storeys and was then developed into three. The 67-year-old said: “The main issue is the fact that they have lied over it. They have said there was going to be 600 people, but they said it was going to be a two-storey building and now it is going to be three. “I think it is going to have a big impact on our privacy. They say it isn’t.” One woman, who did not want to be named, said that she had her house valued recently and it had gone down in value by £25,000. She said that people had been struggling to sell their houses, and her family had planned to move but she didn’t think that would be possible anymore. Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage said she is pressing ministers for answers about the detention centre, having raised the issue in Parliament and written to the Home Secretary after a promised meeting with a minister was cancelled. Redevelopment at Haslar has taken a phased approach, with Phase 1 consisting of the refurbishment of existing buildings, and Phase 2 involving the building of new build accommodation. Phase 1 will provide 130 beds and is expected to be ready by autumn, while the first inmates are anticipated to move in to the site in Spring 2027. Dame Caroline has called for the application to be considered by Gosport Borough Council as the local planning authority – currently it is due to be decided by an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State after the local planning authority makes representations. In a letter to the Home Office, she said she had “serious concerns” that the Government were pushing through the application with “minimal scrutiny, which isn’t acceptable”. “We’re now approaching crunch time for this application, and nothing has changed. There needs to be more engagement over these plans before decision-making drifts out of reach of local people,” she said. “Planning decisions of this nature should be determined locally, by those with proper knowledge and understanding of the area, its infrastructure, and the impact this development would have on the surrounding community. “Local councillors are best placed to consider these matters, having been elected by the very residents who will be affected. However, the Home Office insist that the proposal for three-storey buildings were included in plans presented to a public engagement event last October. A spokesperson said: “All Crown Development planning applications require extensive engagement, and we encourage residents and stakeholders to share their views through the formal process. “We make no apology for significantly expanding our detention capacity which will see more than 45,000 additional foreign criminals and illegal migrants removed over the coming decade.”