Linton-on-Ouse: Locals fear leafy Yorkshire village could become a 'ghost town' under migrant plans
Residents fear their leafy Yorkshire village is turning into a "ghost town" amid controversial plans to house 1,200 asylum seekers on their doorstep.
Dozens of residents are threatening to "sell up and move" from pretty Linton-on-Ouse ahead of a decision to turn a former RAF base into an asylum centre.
Some homeowners have already listed their properties accepting they could make a loss of up to 20 per cent.
It comes after villagers in Piddington, Oxfordshire, voted overwhelmingly in favour of "leaving the UK" in protest over plans to house 1,200 male adult migrants at a nearby MOD site.
In Linton-on-Ouse, new images show around 35 newly renovated ex-MOD houses across two new-build estates currently vacant.
Two other nearby estates owned by the same developer, Annington, have been described as a "revolving door" with people moving in and out following the announcement, according to homeowners.
Residents of the cute outpost - which is home to around 700 people - say they would "all be full" with young families in normal circumstances.
The gloomy situation comes as data collected by the Linton-on-Ouse Action Group from 404 residents revealed that 60 per cent of renters in the area were "very likely" to leave if the plans got the go-ahead.
Alice Sizer moved into her three-bed property on Linton Meadows, with her five-year-old daughter and husband Ian, 44, in 2023.
The 44-year-old said she would move out if plans go ahead and would expect to lose £100,000 - but she says it is a price she will have to pay for her "daughter's safety".
She claims she would lose the £50,000 she invested in the house.
And she would only get 75 per cent of the value of her home when selling through auction, which she says would be the only way to sell.
Alice said: "We have a strong connection to the area as my husband's dad was in the RAF and he was posted at the base for a short while.
"He really wanted to live here so when houses came up, and we had a look, it seemed perfect. Our daughter goes to the same school Ian went to and she loves it.
“But I don’t want my family growing up in an unsafe environment and I know I am not the only one. We are normal working families. This isn’t about race or religion, just wanting to feel secure in our own homes.”
Just down the road is Luke Feather, 28, whose house is currently on the market.
The tradesman was looking at moving out to start a family in a bigger home, but says the migrants' plans were the pushing factor.
He said: "We moved in 2022 just after the original plans were dropped and we were under the impression it would never be brought up again.
"We had just got engaged and were looking for somewhere to settle down, and we couldn't argue with the prices.
"But when the migrant plans came up, it was upsetting as we love the area but it accelerated our plans to move out, as it isn't somewhere I would want to raise a child.”
The tiny hamlet - which has no GP or police station - was earmarked to keep migrants at the RAF Linton-on-Ouse by the government in June.
If plans go ahead, it is expected to keep around 1,200 single male migrants aged between 18 - 65 which residents fear will outnumber them two to one.
The Home Office say the site will be secure and would run for a minimum of three years.
This is the second time the location has been proposed as plans for 1,500 migrants at the base were put forward in 2022 before they were dropped.
Just opposite Linton Meadows is Linton Place, where 20 £1,650-a-month four-bed detached homes sit in a quaint cul-de-sac setting but only four are currently rented.
They are owned by property developers Annington.
They have been renovating ex-RAF houses – which cost between £1,325 and £1,850 a month - in the area as part of their 'The Linton Collection' since 2022.
But their Rightmove listings show a bleak picture, with only a few properties for let, with the longest waiting for a new owner for over two months after being listed in July.
In Linton, around 22 per cent of houses are rented, which has been branded an "exceptionally high figure" for such a small location by Linton-on-Ouse Action Group.
And if people were to move out, locals fear sweet Linton could become a "ghost town" again like in 2022 when the RAF moved out.
One elderly lady - who didn't want to be named but lives in Linton Place with her husband - moved in July as the proposal was announced.
She claims no one has moved in since the migrant plans became public and says they will be moving out if they go ahead.
She said: "All the houses are empty because of the migrant plans. Who would want to move in with this looming over your head.
"It won't be a safe place to live. I feel sorry for families with children."
Nearby is Igor Jelisejevs, 39, who moved into his Annington-owned £1,850-a-month three-bed detached property at The Paddocks in August.
His home sits just metres from the RAF base borders.
He said: "When I moved in I had two neighbours. Five weeks later, it is still the same. The plans don't really bother me. I will be able to look after myself.
"But it is a shame really that people are being put off by the plans.”
On the way out of The Paddocks is The Green, which sits around 10 decrepit large manor-style homes which are yet to be renovated, according to Annington.
But residents are worried if they are not renovated they may attract antisocial behaviour.
Nearby, The Green is White Rose and Maple Grove, which are mostly fully let.
One 50-year-old man who didn't want to be named but lives on White Rose says Linton is not the area to be holding migrants.
He said: "You don't take over 1000 men and put them in the middle of nowhere. You know what you are like on a two-week all-inclusive holiday, you get bored after a while, and you want to explore outside.
"Linton has nothing really in it, so what are these men going to do?
He mentioned how the White Rose estate feels "unsettled" saying in the three months he has lived there “around 30 to 50 per cent have come and gone”.
Elderly Michael Thompson, 84, also lives on the street alongside his daughter and her partner.
Facing outside the window of his porch is a sign which reads "Asylum Centre: Still the Wrong Place, Wrong Plan".
He said: "My daughter initially spoke about moving out, but instead we agreed on getting CCTV cameras put up.
"It surprises me that houses are empty and that people are moving out, as if the plans weren't proposed, I can't see them being empty. It has left people in limbo."
A 50-year-old mum-of-four who didn't want to be named moved from South Africa to UK in five years ago to escape violence, but says the plans have brought back old memories.
She said: "I've been hijacked, had a gun held to my head, we came to the UK to escape fear and somewhere our children will be safe.
"But these plans have ruined it for us if they go ahead."
Across the road is Ayoub Sabir, 33, on Maple Grove, who says he isn't "bothered" about the migrants as long as they are kept "under control".
The new dad-of-one said: "I believe in the security system, and I think we will be safe."
North Yorkshire Police has recently warned if the government imposes the plans that dealing with protests at the site could require significant resources, potentially placing pressure on policing elsewhere in the county.
The concerns have now been taken directly to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood by York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith and Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime Jo Coles.
Martin Sanderson, a prominent member of Linton-on-Ouse Action Group, said the Home Office is making the village “inaccessible and unsafe” to people and families.
Six out of the seven MP's in North Yorkshire Council as well as Coun Carl Les OBE - Leader North Yorkshire Council said they "do not believe that the former RAF Linton-on-Ouse site is an appropriate location for a large-scale asylum accommodation centre".
North Yorkshire Council said: "There is concern that the proposed facility could damage confidence, hinder future regeneration and conflict with wider ambitions for housing, employment and economic growth."
North Yorkshire Council was approached for further comment.
Annington declined to comment.
Home Office have been approached for comment.