Government Approves Asylum Centre for 1,256 Men at Former MoD Bicester Site Despite Village Protest
The government has granted full planning permission to turn a former Ministry of Defence storage site near the Oxfordshire village of Piddington into accommodation for up to 1,256 asylum seekers, despite fierce opposition from local residents.
Communities Secretary Angela Rayner approved the temporary, phased use of the former MoD Bicester site on Thursday, in a decision fast-tracked through the Urgent Crown Development process. The scheme will house single men aged between 18 and 65, and forms part of the government’s plan to move asylum seekers out of hotels and into large-scale reception centres on former military sites.
What the plans involve
The permission covers the demolition of existing buildings at the former defence storage and distribution centre, the construction of modular accommodation, and the provision of health and welfare facilities. According to the local Conservative association, the temporary permission would run for ten years, from 2027 to 2037.
The Home Office applied directly to the Housing Secretary under the Urgent Crown Development procedure, which bypasses the usual local planning system. Cherwell District Council, the local planning authority, was not the decision-maker, and residents were given just ten days in September to comment on the proposals.
A government report on the application recorded 3,177 objections and only one letter of support, figures cited by the BBC. The government also decided the scheme did not need a full environmental impact assessment.
A village that voted to leave the UK
Piddington, a village of around 350 people about 15 miles from Oxford, has opposed the plans from the start. In September, residents held a symbolic ballot in which they voted to leave the United Kingdom in protest at the proposal, a striking gesture that drew national attention to the small community’s campaign.
The local campaign group, Wrong Plan, Wrong Site, has already sent the government a formal pre-action letter, the first step towards a judicial review. Opponents now have six weeks from the day after the decision to apply to the High Court for a legal challenge.
Critics of the scheme argue the site, which has never been used for housing, is unsuitable for large-scale accommodation, and have raised concerns about transport, local services and drainage. Supporters of the government’s approach say large former military sites offer a cheaper alternative to hotels, which have become a flashpoint in the asylum debate.
Permission is not a final decision
Despite the planning approval, the centre is not yet certain to open. A Home Office spokesperson said: “Planning permission allows us to continue to progress the use of MoD Bicester. However, a final decision to proceed is yet to be taken.”
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed the decision, saying: “The Secretary of State has granted full planning permission for the temporary, phased use of the former MoD Bicester storage site.” It added that, as the decision may be subject to legal challenge, it would not be appropriate to comment further.
The Bicester site is one of three former military locations the Home Office said in June it was examining for asylum accommodation, alongside MoD Barnham and MoD Linton-on-Ouse. The government has pledged to close asylum hotels and replace them with reception centres, but the Bicester decision shows how contested each new site is likely to be.
For Piddington, the wait continues. Planning permission is in place, a legal challenge is being prepared, and the Home Office has yet to decide whether the first residents will ever arrive.
The entrance to the MoD storage and distribution centre at Bicester. Image: Steve Daniels / Geograph, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
