Full planning permission granted for asylum centre at former military base in Oxfordshire

The UK government has secured full planning permission for an asylum centre located at a former Ministry of Defence site near the village of Piddington in Oxfordshire. Angela Rayner, the communities secretary, granted the approval for the refurbishment and redevelopment of the former barracks. While this decision allows the project to move forward, the Home Office has stated that a final determination to proceed with the project is yet to be made.

The approval comes in the midst of significant local opposition. In September, residents of Piddington participated in a symbolic referendum to demonstrate their stance against the proposed accommodation. In that vote, 285 people supported leaving the UK, while only 26 voted against. The poll was organized by campaigners to highlight community resistance to housing 1,256 detained asylum seekers at the converted military site near Bicester.

A spokesperson for the Home Office commented on the development on Thursday, noting that planning permission enables the government to continue progressing the use of the MoD Bicester site. The spokesperson emphasized that the government is working toward a fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country. They highlighted that over one billion pounds in costs have been saved since the election, which includes measures to close all asylum hotels and transition to alternative facilities such as former military sites. These new sites are designed to be self-contained and feature 24-hour security and CCTV to minimize their impact on local communities.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed that the secretary of state has granted full planning permission for the temporary and phased use of the former MoD Bicester storage site. The ministry noted that because the decision may be subject to legal challenge, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the matter at this stage.

There is now a six-week window during which the planning decision can face a legal challenge. Last month, the campaign group Wrong Plan Wrong Site took their complaints to the High Court, appealing for a judicial review of the Home Office proposals. The group had previously challenged the government's conclusion in August that an environmental assessment was unnecessary for the proposed development, citing credible concerns about potential significant environmental effects.

The political opposition has also voiced strong criticism of the decision. Katie Lam, the shadow housing secretary of state, stated that Angela Rayner has told the people of Piddington that their voices count for nothing. Lam argued that a small village will now have 1,256 male migrants housed on its doorstep against the wishes of almost all local residents. She questioned why British people should suffer due to the government's border policies, suggesting that the solution is to remove migrants as soon as they arrive rather than moving them from hotels to military bases.

Earlier this summer, Andy Burnham stated that people in more affluent areas of the UK must play their part in housing asylum seekers. The Home Office first announced in June that it was exploring the use of three former military sites to house asylum seekers: MoD Bicester, MoD Barnham, and MoD Linton-on-Ouse.

In addition to these new proposals, the government is also seeking to extend the use of two existing sites. The plan includes extending the use of the Crowborough site until 2030 and the Wethersfield site beyond 2027. These moves are part of a broader strategy to manage the asylum accommodation landscape in the United Kingdom.