Ministry of Justice & Home Office Updates
We’ll be tracking any official submissions from the MoJ and Home Office and will update this page regularly. Join our newsletter to be informed of any updates.
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Some of you may have had a letter from the MoJ through your door telling us that they are still working out whether or not they will put in a planning application. An entire year has passed since they announced their plans, and the uncertainty continues for those affected.
Click here to see a copy
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The Ministry of Justice will soon submit outline or full planning permission. We were told to expect this by Q2 of 2022. Please make sure you sign up to our newsletter so we can inform you when this happens and how you can comment on the application.
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Link to High Court Judgement on Braintree District Council’s case against the Home Office (not the Appeal)
National Archives uploaded the High Court judgement provided by Judge Waksman on 21.4.23 regarding Braintree District Council’s case against the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence. If you do not want to read it all, go to the analysis and conclusion in pages 19-21.
Two issues:
Was BDC’s injunction valid
Was it an “emergency”
It was quite clear that the injunction would be struck out as it did not come via Section 296A of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 which relates to Crown land (the Airbase is owned by the MoD). In that section consent for enforcement, ie an injunction, would have to be obtained from the “appropriate authority”, in this case, the MoD. No such consent was sought and quite frankly would the MoD have given consent for an injunction to be placed on the Home Office!
The judge clearly believed the asylum seeker situation was an emergency and therefore the Home Office could use the provisions of Class Q of Part 19 to Schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, which relate to
Development by or on behalf of the Crown on Crown land for the purposes of
(a) preventing an emergency;
(b) reducing, controlling or mitigating the effects of an emergency; or
(c) taking other action in connection with an emergency.
An “emergency” is defined in Class Q. Class Q does limit the time the Home Office can use the land to 12 months in such circumstances, unless it does something to enable it to stay longer – the Home Office’s counsel has stated that the Home Office will seek to do this at Wethersfield either by a planning application (likely to go to the Secretary of State) or a Special Development Order through Parliament. If by a planning application, it will have to start the process soon.
There is obviously more detail to the judgement and other background of interest, which you can read.
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Item descriptionWethersfield EIA Screening Response Part 2
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Item descriptionWethersfield Screening Request Letter
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Investigation into Asylum Accommodation
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The Fields Association Accounts
Statement of financial activities for year end 31st march 2025
Income
Donations - £60.00
Membership Fee - £10.00
Shallford Fete - £298.90
Interest on Savings Account - 190.41
Grant from BDC for Community Pantry - £350.00
Expenditure
Village Hall Hire - £36.00
Shalford Fete Table Hire - £20.00
Grant for DPG Judicial Review - £6292.00
Purchase of racks and storage for Community Pantry - £144.00
Podcast monthly fees for 1 year - £272.01
Website costs/ Domain name/One Drive - £299.99
£7207.78
Net Income -£6298.47
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