13 June 2008
MPs have said the abandonment by the Home Office of plans to build an accommodation centre for asylum seekers in Oxfordshire has demonstrated 'a startling absence of common sense'.
The Public Accounts Committee examined the reasons behind the cancellation in 2005 and the proposed use of the site in Bicester for a secure immigration detention centre.
PAC chair Edward Leigh said the £29m project showed a lack of foresight and poor business planning. 'A proposal to build an asylum centre, especially in a rural location, is always going to provoke opposition. The Home Office business case inexplicably took no account of this probability,' he said.
Unforeseen planning delays had an adverse effect on cost and delivery, and the plan was scrapped as it was no longer economically viable. The PAC said other departments should strengthen corporate governance when engaging consultants and improve consultation when planning similar innovative projects.
A Home Office spokesman said it had learnt some important lessons.
PFjun2008
