A Essex council has begun a legal fight with the Home Office over plans to house thousands of asylum seekers at a former RAF base.
Conservative-run Braintree town hall will argue that Wethersfield airfield is a "completely inappropriate" site for around 1,700 migrants during a High Court hearing on Wednesday.
A spokesman for the local authority said the "scale of the development proposed could have a significant impact upon the local community".
Braintree council leader Graham Butland previously told the Evening Standard there "is simply not the infrastructure here to support" a large number of asylum seekers given the "isolated nature" of the site.
But the plans have been criticised by a number of Tory MPs, including former Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Local MP and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has also voiced his concerns, citing the "remote nature of the site, the limited transport infrastructure and narrow road network".
The Home Office has paused moving people onto the site until it gets the go ahead from a judge.
However, it has already began preparing the accommodation for asylum seekers.
A Home Office spokesman said: "Delivering accommodation on surplus military sites will provide cheaper and more orderly, suitable accommodation for those arriving in small boats whilst helping to reduce the use of hotels.
“These accommodation sites will house asylum seekers in basic, safe and secure accommodation as they await a decision on their claim.
“We understand the concerns of local communities and will work closely with councils and key partners to manage the impact of using these sites, including liaising with local police to make sure appropriate arrangements are in place.”
