Brook House immigration removal centre

Address and contact information

Perimeter Road South
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick
RH6 0PQ

Main telephone and fax

Tel: 01293 566500
Tel: 01293 566559 (to arrange visits)
Fax: 01293 566590

Description

Brook House immigration removal centre (IRC) was opened on 18 March 2009. It is a secure centre, purpose-built to category B Prison Service standard, and is adjacent to the existing facility at Tinsley House near Gatwick Airport. Brook House is based on the successful design of Colnbrook immigration removal centre at Heathrow and provides relatively short term accommodation for 426 male detainees.

UK Border Agency contacts

Simon Edwards - UK Border Agency manager
Paul Gasson - UK Border Agency deputy manager
Simon Levett - UK Border Agency deputy manager

Contractor information

Brook House is run by the G4S Group. The centre director of Brook House is Derek Milliken. The deputy director is Ian Danskin and the operations manager in Michelle Dyne.

Bed spaces

426.

Reception times

24-hour access. There is no restriction on the number of moves in or out per day. All special needs cases will be referred to the duty manager by means of an IS991 risk assessment.

Facilities

The centre has a well-stocked library where detainees have access to a wide array of reading material. This facility will also include computers available to detainees wishing to complete various tasks, including word processing.

Detainees will have access to English lessons and art and craft lessons.

The centre also contains three separate, well-equipped fitness suites, two rooms containing numerous PCs with internet facilities available, and a separate music room.

Detainees have access to a Christian chapel, a Muslim prayer room and multi-faith rooms, all located within the centre.

Medical care

24-hour medical care is provided on site. Brook House provides 15 nurses who provide 24-hour primary care as well as acute and emergency care. Four registered mental health nurses are also on site 8 hours a day.

A doctor is available on site 6 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is available on call 24 hours a day every day. Health education and advice are also offered within the medical centre at Brook House.

Visitors

Brook House welcomes visitors. Visiting times are from 1400 to 2100 each day. Visitors must bring with them photo identification (passport or driving licence) and a utility bill with their name and address contained on it. If a visitor wants to see a detainee, they should contact the main switchboard on 01293 566559, who will be able to book a date and time 24 hours in advance. Legal visits from solicitors are permitted at any time throughout the day; solicitors are also asked to contact the switchboard to book a date and time to see their clients.

Food and drink are not permitted in the visits hall. Automated snacks and drinks machines are available.

Visitors may take no property into the immigration removal centre. Any property that has not been the subject of prior approval will not be accepted into the centre. Any property permitted into the centre will be examined by x-ray and also manually searched.

G4S provides a free minibus service each day between Gatwick train/bus station and Brook House (both directions). The times specified below are subject to traffic and congestion.

Minibus leaves Gatwick train/bus station at:
13.15 / 14.00 / 15.00 / 16.00 / 17.00 / 18.00 / 19.00 / 20.00

Minibus leaves Brook House at:
13.45 / 14.45 / 15.45 / 16.45 / 17.45 / 18.45 / 19.45 /21.05

Please note that this minibus service only runs between Brook House and Gatwick airport train/bus station, and will not be made available at any other location.

Directions

By road

Leave the M23 at Junction 9, and at the slip road roundabout take the spur road towards Gatwick airport. Go straight across at the next roundabout, heading towards the North Terminal, and take the 4th exit at the next roundabout onto the A23. At the next roundabout (called Longbridge Roundabout), take the 4th exit remaining on the A23 heading towards Crawley.

Continue to the next roundabout and take the 3rd exit (Perimeter Road East), then take the first turning on the left into Perimeter Road South. Brook House is approximately 1 mile on the left, past the aircraft hangars on the right-hand side.

By rail

Take the train to Gatwick airport. The easiest way from there is by taxi, but if you want to walk it will take between 20-30 minutes. On leaving the railway station, follow the signs for arrivals; to the right of the concourse you will see the 'left luggage' and 'onward travel connections' desks. To the left of these is an exit with a sign to the Speedlink coach service. Take the lift or stairs to the ground floor, and on leaving the building turn right. From there, follow the directions as by road (see above) from the South Terminal building.

Buses

There are no public buses servicing the centre, but G4S offers a limited minibus service between Gatwick airport train/bus station and Brook House - see above for times.

Nearest train stations

• Gatwick aiport terminal
• Crawley station
• Three Bridges station

Other information

UK Border Agency detention services now operates a policy which restricts the amount of baggage detainees can have in the centre. Details can be found in the detention services order (DSO) 9/2008.