Plans to expand the Haslar Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) in Gosport, Hampshire, by adding 470 detention beds have been criticised by the area’s Member of Parliament, who says the revised proposal gives residents too little say over the development.
The Home Office has submitted plans to the Planning Inspectorate to build additional accommodation at the former Haslar IRC, arguing that the expansion is a project of national importance. The move means the application will be determined through the national planning process rather than by Gosport Borough Council.
The existing Haslar Immigration Removal Centre, which closed in 2015, is currently being redeveloped and is expected to reopen in 2027 with capacity for 130 detainees. Under the latest proposal, an additional 470 beds would be created in new three-storey buildings on neighbouring Home Office-owned land.
If approved, the expansion would significantly increase detention capacity and form part of a wider government plan to address a shortage of immigration detention spaces across England. Combined with proposals to expand Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre in Oxfordshire, the projects would create around 1,000 additional detention places.
In documents submitted with the application, the Home Office said the Haslar expansion is essential to strengthening the UK’s immigration detention system. Officials argued that the extra capacity would support the removal of foreign national offenders and people who have no legal right to remain in the United Kingdom, while also contributing to public safety.
However, Gosport MP Dame Caroline Dinenage has strongly criticised the revised plans. She described them as “deeply disappointing” and said the proposal differs significantly from the version originally put forward under the previous Conservative government in 2022.
The Conservative MP also objected to the decision to submit the application directly to the Planning Inspectorate, arguing that it limits meaningful public engagement. She said residents should have more opportunities to comment on the plans, particularly because the proposed three-storey buildings are taller and would have a greater visual impact on the surrounding community.
Gosport Borough Council is due to consider the proposals on 15 July. Two Conservative councillors have also submitted a motion urging the council to express concerns about the scale of the development, the planning process, and the redaction of parts of the application documents on security grounds.
Members of the public can submit comments on the proposal through the Planning Inspectorate until 6 August before a final decision is made.
Why is the Haslar expansion being criticised?
Critics, including Gosport MP Dame Caroline Dinenage, argue that the revised plans include taller buildings than originally proposed and that residents have been denied adequate consultation because the application is being handled through the national planning process instead of by the local council.