The government has granted planning permission to house more than 1,200 asylum seekers at a former military site near Piddington, Oxfordshire, prompting local residents to vow they will fight the plans. The announcement adds to a string of disputes over the spreading of asylum accommodation outside the south-east of England.
What we know
The Daily Express reported that the government has granted planning permission for the use of a former military site near Piddington, Oxfordshire, to house more than 1,200 asylum seekers. Home Office sources believe the site will create a fairer distribution of asylum seekers across the country, spreading the numbers away from the south-east.
Local residents have reacted angrily to the plans, with the Daily Express headline declaring: “We will fight this betrayal,” as locals vow to oppose the plans. Residents have warned the government to brace for a legal battle. The announcement comes as the government continues to press for a fairer spread of asylum seekers away from the south-east.
Why it matters
The scheme is part of a wider government effort to distribute asylum accommodation more evenly outside the south-east, a policy that frequently puts ministers at odds with local communities who fear the impact on their towns. Piddington is a former military site, a category of accommodation that has been used to house asylum seekers in several parts of the UK.
The grant of planning permission clears the way for the site to be used to accommodate asylum seekers. The government has said it will continue to engage with the community and that no final decision on the site had been taken. Residents are expected to mount a legal challenge, and the Home Office has suggested the site could be used to create a fairer distribution of asylum seekers across the country.
The standoff over Piddington is part of a wider political row over the Government’s immigration strategy, with campaigners on both sides using the issue to highlight their concerns about the management of the asylum system. Local councils across the country have raised similar objections to asylum accommodation on former military and industrial sites.
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What happens next
The government said it would continue to engage with the community, and that no final decision on the site had been taken. Residents are expected to oppose the plans and may seek a judicial review of the decision. The Home Office said it would work with the district council to address any legitimate objections and to ensure the project meets its accommodation targets while respecting legitimate planning concerns.
The planning committee meeting that approved the site was closed to the public, a decision that has angered residents who say they were not given enough notice to scrutinise the proposals. Organisers said the committee had been asked to consider a number of planning issues, including noise and traffic, before granting permission.
The dispute is likely to be watched closely by campaign groups and local councils elsewhere in the UK that face similar proposals, underlining the tension between national dispersal policy and local planning control. As the government seeks to house more asylum seekers outside the south-east, local objections are emerging as a major obstacle to the programme.
The planning decision is the latest in a series of clashes between Whitehall and local communities over asylum accommodation, and is expected to reignite calls for greater consultation before new sites are announced.
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