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Date submitted

28 July 2026

Submitted by

Interested party

Dear Planning Inspectorate, I am writing to object to the proposed expansion of Haslar Immigration Removal Centre. The application reference is CROWN/2026/0000005. I object because the proposal would expand Haslar into a 600-bed detention centre, adding up to 470 additional detention places before the refurbished 130-bed centre has even reopened or been tested in practice. I am especially concerned about flood risk, coastal safety, emergency evacuation and climate change. Haslar is a coastal site next to the Solent, and parts of the site are in Flood Zone 3, meaning there is a high risk of flooding from the sea. Climate change makes this more serious because flood risk is likely to increase over the lifetime of the development through sea level rise, heavier rainfall, storms and pressure on coastal defences. There are also concerns about surface water flooding, including flooding on the route used to get in and out of the site. This is not an ordinary building. It would be a locked, secure detention centre. People detained at Haslar would not be free to leave if there was a flood warning, severe weather, a failure of flood defences or another emergency. The Planning Inspectorate should not approve this application unless there is clear evidence that detained people, staff, visitors, emergency services and escort vehicles would be safe for the lifetime of the development, including in future climate conditions. I am also concerned about the scale of the expansion, traffic, parking, healthcare and emergency services, public access to the coast, ecology, heritage, lighting, noise and local infrastructure. The Home Office has not clearly shown why 470 additional detention places are needed at Haslar specifically, or why existing capacity, alternatives to detention, or other estate options would not be sufficient. This is especially important because Haslar has not yet reopened, so there is no current operational evidence showing how the refurbished centre would work in practice. I am also concerned that the Home Office has applied for outline planning permission, with only access being decided at this stage. This means the public is being asked to comment now on whether Haslar should become a 600-bed detention centre before all the practical details are finalised. Some information has also been withheld or treated as sensitive, making it difficult for the public to understand the full impact of the proposal. 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. As someone who works daily with people seeking asylum who face detention, I know this will have harm on people who are here to seek protection. We cannot allow for this to happen. 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. Sincerely, Mathilda Della Torre 28/07/2026