Military Base Asylum Plans Near Piddington Approved by Government

Plans to house up to 1,256 asylum seekers at a former military site near Piddington, Oxfordshire, have been approved by the government. The decision, made by Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, was reached via a fast-track route for projects deemed urgently needed and of national importance.

The Home Office said this would allow it to continue developing the plan but that no final decision on the site had been taken.

Planning permission allows for the demolition of existing buildings, the building of new modular accommodation, and provisions for health and welfare facilities.

Opponents of the plan, including Piddington Parish Council, now have six weeks to challenge the approval at the High Court. The government has stated that a challenge may only be brought on the grounds that the decision is legally flawed.

3,177 representations were made against the decision, with only one in support, according to a government report. Rayner ruled that permission should be granted because "national demand for asylum accommodation remains high".

Tim McNally, chair of Piddington Parish Council, said the council would consider its next steps, including the application of the Hillsborough Law, which imposes a duty on public authorities and officials to tell the truth and co-operate with official investigations and inquiries.

Joe Marshall, a Piddington parish councillor, said residents were "extremely frustrated" by the decision, which he said overruled the councils, the NHS and the police and crime commissioner.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the government had "betrayed the people of Piddington" by abusing emergency powers. Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock Calum Miller said it was "the wrong plan and the wrong site".

The Home Office said a final decision to proceed had not yet been taken, and that the government was working on a fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country. The government must house asylum seekers who cannot financially support themselves while their claim is being considered.