Dame Caroline Dinenage, Member of Parliament for Gosport, has written to the Home Secretary calling for the Phase 2 plans of the Haslar Immigration Removal Centre to be considered by Gosport Borough Council.

Caroline’s intervention comes at the same time that the Government confirmed Kier as the construction supplier for Phase 2. Will Round, Senior Responsible Owner for the Immigration Removal Centre Expansion Programme, wrote to Caroline on 21 May.

He said: “It is important to emphasise that the initial contract commits the Home Office to the development of detailed designs. No actual construction will commence until these designs are completed and planning permission has been received. Further updates will be provided as the planning process progresses.”

Plans for Phase 2 of the Haslar IRC expansion were presented at a public meeting at Thorngate Halls in October 2025. At that meeting it became clear that some of the Phase 2 buildings would extend to 3 storeys high. At the same time, the Home Office stated that they would pursue planning approval for Phase 2 via the Crown Development route.

The Crown Development route requires the Planning Inspectorate to give no less than 21 days for the submission of representations by planning consultees, including the local planning authority. After the close of that submission window the application is decided by an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State. Caroline has called for the application to be considered by Gosport Borough Council as the local planning authority.

Writing in a letter to the Home Secretary, Caroline said: “Planning decision of this nature should be determined locally, by those with proper knowledge and understanding of the area, its infrastructure, and the impact this development would have on the surrounding community. Local councillors are best placed to consider these matters, having been elected by the very residents who will be affected.

“Your Department should therefore do the right thing and submit this application to Gosport Borough Council.”

Haslar will house a mixture of time-served Foreign National Offenders and immigration offenders awaiting removal from the UK. People detained in Haslar IRC will not be free to leave the Centre or access the local area.

Redevelopment at Haslar has taken a phased approach, with Phase 1 consisting of the refurbishment of existing buildings, and Phase 2 involving the building of new build accommodation. Phase 1 will provide 130 beds, and is expected to be delivered by the Autumn 2026 with staff manning the front counter by the Summer. The expectation is that the first inmates will move into the site in Spring 2027. The Government’s intention is for the site to ultimately provide 600 beds.

Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, said: “The Government has made clear its intention to proceed with the Crown Development route. I think that’s the wrong approach. It takes decision-making away from local people and into the hands of civil servants and Labour politicians in Whitehall. I have serious concerns that the Government are trying to push this application through with minimal scrutiny, which isn’t acceptable.”

“When I first saw the plans for Phase 2 at the public meeting I organised in October, I made it clear that the new build accommodation was too high. We’re now approaching crunch time for this application, and nothing has changed. There needs to be more engagement over these plans before decision making drifts out of reach of local people.”