Government approves MoD Bicester asylum centre plans
There has been strong opposition in the nearby village Piddington
Last updated 4 hours ago
A former Ministry of Defence site near the village of Piddington in Oxfordshire has been given full planning permission to be turned into accommodation for more than 1,200 detained asylum seekers.
Communities Secretary Angela Rayner's office confirmed the decision on Thursday.
The plan is to house 1,256 men at the former MoD Bicester storage site, which had faced strong opposition from people in the village.
A six-week window now opens in which the decision can face a legal challenge.
The Home Office has welcomed the decision but says a final decision to proceed has not yet been taken.
What the Government says
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "The Secretary of State has granted full planning permission for the temporary, phased use of the former MoD Bicester storage site."
They added: "As the decision may be subject to legal challenge, it would not be appropriate to comment further."
A Home Office spokesperson said: "Planning permission allows us to continue to progress the use of MoD Bicester. However, a final decision to proceed is yet to be taken."
They also said: "This includes closing all asylum hotels and moving to alternative accommodation, including former military sites. These are designed to be self-contained, with 24/7 security and CCTV, to minimise the impact on the local community."
Opposition in the village
Villagers had said housing the men at the site would pose a significant threat to women in the area.
Piddington's parish council had made a symbolic attempt to declare the village independent from the rest of the country, in the hope of forcing the Government to back down.
Parish councillor Joe Marshall told the Press Association the decision has prompted anger and frustration in the village.
He accused the Government of walking all over rural communities.
Mr Marshall said: "It's not a movement about the asylum crisis, it's more of a movement associated with governments walking all over small rural communities."
He added: "We're all 100% on the same page that we have to challenge this and we will challenge this."
Political reaction
Liberal Democrat MP Calum Miller, who represents Bicester and Woodstock, said he was deeply disappointed.
He said: "The NHS has warned that nearby GP practices have no spare capacity, while crucial details of site access and sewage disposal have been left for later approval."
Mr Miller also said: "The Government acknowledges there is asbestos and unexploded ordnance on the site but, amazingly, thinks it can manage this safely, despite the cost."
He said the decision has ignored major environmental objections that form the basis of a High Court challenge.
Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp and Reform UK home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf have also criticised the decision.
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