Legal Challenge Over Crowborough Asylum Accommodation Plan Heard In High Court

A legal challenge over plans to house asylum seekers at a former military training camp in Crowborough has been heard at the High Court.

Community interest company Crowborough Shield is taking action against the government’s decision to use Crowborough Training Camp as accommodation for up to 540 men.

The group claims the Home Office acted unlawfully by using emergency planning powers and failed to make the decision with the required level of openness.

Representing Crowborough Shield, Alex Goodman KC told the court the Home Office had wrongly treated the need for asylum accommodation as an “emergency”, allowing development of the site to go ahead without the usual planning process.

He argued that an emergency must be a genuine crisis rather than simply an urgent situation.

The Home Office is defending the legal challenge, with barrister James Strachan KC saying claims that the process was carried out secretly had “no proper foundation”.

He told the court the pressures facing the asylum accommodation system were “real and acute” and decisions on how to respond were a matter for the government.

Plans to use the former Ministry of Defence site were announced last October and confirmed in January, prompting protests in Crowborough and opposition from Wealden District Council.

Crowborough Shield previously launched a legal challenge in December, but it was dismissed because it was brought before the government had formally decided to proceed.

The judge said the decision could potentially be challenged once made.

The High Court hearing is continuing.