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Date submitted

1 August 2026

Submitted by

Interested party

I object to the proposed expansion of Haslar Immigration Removal Centre (reference CROWN/2026/0000005). I am writing as a UK citizen with extreme concerns regarding human rights, in solidarity with those who have lived experience of detention. The proposal to expand Haslar into a 600-bed detention centre is inhumane, and will also be detrimental to the local community. The cruelty of detention is beyond the understanding of those who are involved in planning this expansion. I understand that the Planning Inspectorate’s decision will focus on material planning considerations, but this representation is also part of the public record. Humanitarian concerns are valid and should be recorded, especially where they reinforce the need for full scrutiny of a development of this scale and sensitivity. This proposal is not ordinary infrastructure. It is a major expansion of a locked detention centre on a coastal site, and it should receive the closest possible scrutiny. Immigration detention causes serious harm to people detained there, and the effects are felt by families, communities, legal and advice services, health services and local people. Expanding Haslar would have serious human and community consequences. For these reasons, I ask that the application is refused. If it is not refused at this stage, I ask that it is examined through a full public inquiry.