The Ministry of Defence is considering Fort Blockhouse, believed to be the United Kingdom’s oldest sea fort, as a potential site to accommodate asylum seekers, prompting objections from the local Conservative MP and renewed scrutiny after earlier use of the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge drew strong criticism.
The site in Gosport, Hampshire, which dates back to work begun in 1431, has been vacant since being put up for sale in 2016 and was due to be disposed of in 2020 before the timetable was extended twice. Luke Pollard, Minister of State for Defence Readiness and Industry, said a planning team has been launched to look at temporary solutions and that “as every government department can contribute something to this effort, it's right the MoD does so.”
Dame Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative MP for Gosport, raised the possibility of using Fort Blockhouse for asylum accommodation at Defence Questions in the House of Commons and said afterward that the minister’s response did not reassure her. "The Government is not denying that sites like Blockhouse could be used for asylum accommodation," she said, adding that “Gosport deserves so much better” and describing the fort as a “unique and special asset.” Pollard said he was willing to meet Dinenage to discuss options for the defence estate.
The proposal comes after sustained opposition to the government’s previous use of the Bibby Stockholm, a barge purchased by the prior Conservative administration and moored at Portland Port in Dorset to house people seeking asylum. Critics, including Labour politicians and local campaigners, described conditions on the vessel as inadequate. Lloyd Russell-Moyle, a former Labour MP, said during a visit to Portland that the barge had been “a recipe for disaster,” saying residents were unable to come and go freely and promised services had not been delivered.
Labour has said it would close the Bibby Stockholm arrangement; the vessel was taken out of use when its contract expired. A Labour MP representing South Dorset described the barge as “an unworkable, expensive & ineffective gimmick” and welcomed its closure, saying the community had campaigned to shut it down. Local opponents had argued that the vessel placed pressure on services and offered insufficient educational and welfare provision for people on board.
Fort Blockhouse has a long military history. Work on coastal defences at the site began after French raids during the Hundred Years’ War, and it later became one of the south coast’s largest forts. In the 20th century the site served as the home of the Royal Navy Submarine Service, known for many years as HMS Dolphin, until submarines relocated to Faslane in Scotland. The base continued in military use in other capacities until 2016 and formally closed as an active military establishment in December 2021. The MoD has twice extended its disposal timetable amid difficulties selling the asset and other estate management priorities.
The government has faced pressure to find accommodation for people arriving in the UK while processing asylum claims, and ministers have explored a range of options in recent years, including hotels, barges and using surplus defence estate. Officials say temporary solutions are being sought while longer-term arrangements are developed. Any decision to repurpose Fort Blockhouse would require further planning work and consultation with local stakeholders, the Ministry of Defence said.
Local MPs and community groups have called for clarity about the future of the site and urged that any plan preserve its historical significance and local value. The MoD and Home Office did not immediately provide a timetable for a final decision on the use of Fort Blockhouse or details of what temporary modifications, if any, would be required to accommodate people there.