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Wethersfield: factsheet

Updated 30 July 2025

July 2025, Version 4.0

What is the purpose of the Wethersfield site?

The government has a statutory obligation to provide asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute with accommodation, but in recent years, the costs of doing so have reached unsustainable levels.

The government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly; and ensures the rules are properly enforced. We are seeking to reduce the backlog of claims and appeals, end the use of hotels, and cut the cost of other asylum accommodation as soon as possible.

The asylum accommodation site at Wethersfield is based on the former MOD site located in Braintree, Essex. It was identified by the Home Office under the former government as a surplus military site that was suitable to accommodate asylum seekers. Wethersfield provides safe accommodation for asylum seekers and is designed to be as self-sufficient as possible.

Who runs the Wethersfield site?

Clearsprings Ready Homes are an experienced, specialist asylum accommodation provider who run the site on behalf of the Home Office. They are responsible for managing asylum seeker accommodation in a safe and secure manner.

The Home Office continues to work closely with stakeholders, including local authorities, our contractors, health, police, and service providers, to ensure that the accommodation is suitable, adequate, and functional.

Who resides at Wethersfield and for how long?

The site accommodates single adult male asylum seekers between the ages of 18 and 65. They arrive at the site following checks against policing and immigration databases. On arrival, they receive a briefing and orientation about the site and the local community, including sessions on anti-social behaviour and road safety.

Subject to any individual assessments and special circumstances, the maximum length of stay for individual asylum seekers accommodated on site is usually nine months. The average length of stay at Wethersfield is currently approximately 81 days. Asylum seekers at the site are not detained. The site is self-contained and essential services are provided on site to reduce the impact on local services. The process for leaving this site is the same as the rest of our asylum accommodation.

Full details of the conditions under which asylum-seekers receive accommodation support can be found on GOV.UK.

How is safety and security protected on site? 

The safety and security of the local communities around the Wethersfield site, the staff who work there, and those accommodated at the site are of paramount importance, with a specialist and experienced provider of security services permanently on site. Essex Police are closely and routinely consulted to ensure appropriate security arrangements are in place, and the Home Office has agreed a bid from Essex Police to cover their costs associated with Wethersfield.

If criminal activity occurs on site, Clearsprings Ready Homes have robust processes in place to report incidents to the police. As part of their induction process, clear expectations are set out to asylum seekers staying at the site about their expected behaviour whilst on and off the site, and this induction process is continuously updated by the service provider to reflect any feedback we have received from the local community or other stakeholders on behavioural issues. The site is a strict “no alcohol zone”, and we will continue to ensure that the no alcohol rule is enforced.

The Home Office also continues to engage regularly with representatives from Braintree District and Essex County Councils, the NHS, the Police, and local partners to address the concerns of those most impacted by the site and to identify ways to keep them informed. A community newsletter is uploaded to gov.uk on a regular basis to provide updates, the latest version of which is here Wethersfield: community update newsletter: July 2025). Previous editions can also be found on the National Archives website.

Will vulnerable people be accommodated at the site?  

Asylum seekers are allocated accommodation on a “no choice” basis, in line with Home Office published policy. If an individual’s needs cannot be met on site, and they are assessed as unsuitable, they will be moved to alternative accommodation. Evidence about the needs of particular individuals is assessed in line with the criteria published on GOV.UK.

What health care provision is there on site?

Extensive efforts have been made to minimise the impact on local health services and to facilitate primary health care on site. Primary (GP lead) health care is delivered on site Monday to Friday, through Home Office funding, by healthcare professionals who offer physical and mental health assessments, and who are able to prescribe medication and refer to alternative healthcare services if required.

Asylum seekers are registered with the on-site medical centre so that there is no need for them to register with other local GP practices. In the event of an individual attending or requiring medical treatment from hospital, they will be offered a follow up appointment at the on-site medical centre when they return. 

Procedures are in place to support individuals with potential symptoms of an infectious disease, including isolation (single occupancy) spaces on site. The local UKHSA Health Protection Team provides advice and guidance on the management of individuals and contacts with a suspected infectious disease or outbreaks. Individuals will be isolated where this is advised, and pathways are in place to safely manage the transfer of the individual into appropriate accommodation with ongoing care provided.

Can asylum seekers travel to local communities?

A shuttle bus service is provided 3 times a day to Braintree, Colchester and Chelmsford. Transport is also provided where necessary to enable access to health services not available on site, and to assist asylum seekers who have been given the opportunity to volunteer within the local community (see here Permission to work & volunteering for asylum seekers).

What facilities are there on site?

The site provides functional accommodation and is designed to be as self-sufficient as possible. There are laundry facilities, communal spaces, faith and worship facilities, and areas for recreational and sporting activity to take place on site.

All asylum seekers can contact Migrant Help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year if they need help, advice, or guidance, that includes raising issues relating to safeguarding. From 16 June 2024, Migrant Help have been offering face-to-face appointments to asylum seekers on site across 3 days allowing them to raise any questions that they may have on any matter.

Translated Migrant Help ‘Asylum Advice’ and ‘Asylum Services’ booklets are provided to asylum seekers at their induction, alongside translated Home Office ‘Rights and Expectations in the UK’ booklets. Asylum seekers are provided with a list of legal representatives and Migrant Help continues to signpost asylum seekers to immigration legal advisors. Legal representatives are, by appointment, permitted to visit the site for meetings with asylum seekers, including out-of-hours visits where required. Private meeting spaces and relevant equipment are provided. 

What is the status of the Special Development Order (SDO)?

The Special Development Order, a type of secondary legislation granting planning permission, was laid in Parliament on 21 March 2024 and came into force on 11 April 2024 granting planning permission to use the site for asylum accommodation until April 2027. The SDO for Wethersfield includes 27 conditions.

On 31 January 2025, the conditions which restricted occupancy to 580 bedspaces were confirmed as discharged by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This discharging has enabled the Home Office to gradually increase regular occupancy to 800 beds, in support of the government’s commitment to end the use of hotels.

The site also has 445 contingency bedspaces which can be brought into use to help manage short-term pressures across the wider asylum accommodation estate. The total combined bedspaces at the site is therefore 1,245: 800 regular and 445 contingency.

If called upon, the contingency bedspaces will only be utilised on a temporary basis until such time as the wider accommodation estate is able to manage demand, and the number accommodated at Wethersfield will be reduced back down to 800 bedspaces as soon as possible thereafter.