Angela Rayner grants planning approval for asylum centre in Piddington despite local opposition
Communities secretary Angela Rayner has granted full planning permission for an asylum centre at a former Ministry of Defence site near Piddington in Oxfordshire, despite local opposition.
The approval allows plans to proceed with the refurbishment and redevelopment of the former barracks. However, the Home Office insists that final approval is still to be determined, leaving the future of the project uncertain despite the planning permission.
Local Opposition
In September, Piddington residents demonstrated strong opposition by holding a symbolic referendum on the plans, with 285 people voting in favor of leaving the UK and only 26 against. The poll was organized by campaigners to demonstrate opposition to housing 1,256 detained asylum seekers at the converted MoD site near Bicester.
Angela Rayner has told the people of Piddington that their voices count for nothing. A village of a few hundred people will now have 1,256 illegal male migrants housed on its doorstep against the wishes of almost everyone who lives there.
Government Position
A Home Office spokesperson emphasized that planning permission allows the government to progress with using MoD Bicester, but a final decision to proceed hasn't been made yet. The government claims to be working on a fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country, saving over £1bn since the election.
The spokesperson highlighted that the government is closing all asylum hotels and moving to alternative accommodation, including former military sites designed to be self-contained with 24/7 security and CCTV to minimize impact on local communities.
Legal Challenges
The decision now faces a potential six-week window for legal challenge. Campaigners from the group Wrong Plan Wrong Site had already appealed for a judicial review into the Home Office proposals, taking their complaints to the high court last month.
The government concluded in August that an environmental assessment was unnecessary for the proposed development, but campaigners challenged that decision, citing "credible concerns about potential significant environmental effects".
Broader Plans
The Home Office announced in June it was exploring three former military sites for asylum seekers: MoD Bicester, MoD Barnham and MoD Linton-on-Ouse. The government is also seeking to extend the use of two existing sites, Crowborough until 2030 and Wethersfield beyond 2027.
Last summer, Andy Burnham had stated that people in more affluent areas of the UK must "play their part" in housing asylum seekers, a position that has drawn criticism from opposition parties.
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