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The government has approved planning permission for the accommodation of asylum seekers at the former Ministry of Defence (MoD) site in Bicester, near the Oxfordshire village of Piddington. The Home Office submitted an application to house up to 1,256 men at the location, which was expedited through an Urgent Crown Development process. This decision has sparked local opposition, with the village of Piddington holding a symbolic vote to leave the UK in protest of the plans, and legal challenges have been mounted by campaign groups against the development.
According to a government report, the planning application received overwhelming public opposition, with 3,177 objections compared to just a single letter of support. Despite this, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner authorized the granting of permission due to the continuing high national demand for asylum accommodation. The approval permits the demolition of existing structures on the site and the construction of new modular housing as well as facilities to support health and welfare services.
Criticism of the government’s approach has come from several political figures. The Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Philp, condemned the move, stating that Angela Rayner and the Labour government had “betrayed the people of Piddington by abusing their emergency powers in this way.” He argued that the government should focus on leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to enable faster deportations of illegal immigrants. Similarly, Zia Yusuf, the home affairs spokesman for Reform UK, expressed frustration, saying, “Over 1,200 unvetted illegal migrant men are being dumped in Piddington,” and pledged that his party would ensure all such individuals are detained and deported.
From the government’s perspective, a Home Office spokesperson emphasized that no final decision to proceed had yet been made. They highlighted the ongoing effort to distribute asylum accommodation more fairly around the country and noted savings of over £1 billion since the last election. The government’s strategy includes closing all asylum hotels, which have been criticized for their cost and role in sparking anti-migrant demonstrations, and relocating asylum seekers to alternative facilities such as former military sites. These new accommodations are intended to be self-contained, secure environments with round-the-clock security and CCTV, minimizing disruption to local communities. Home Office data also revealed that asylum applications fell by 21% to 85,891 in the year leading up to June 2026
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