Full planning permission has been granted for a Ministry of Defence site near the Oxfordshire village of Piddington to be converted into housing for more than 1,200 detained asylum seekers. Communities Secretary Angela Rayner approved the scheme, which would see 1,256 lone male asylum seekers placed at MOD Bicester. The decision was announced in a statement from her department and was confirmed by Metro and the Independent.

The plans had met strong opposition from villagers, who argued the scheme posed a significant threat to women and children in the area. Piddington held a symbolic vote in September, in which 285 residents backed a 'Principality of Piddington', an attempt to force a government reversal. Local residents said house values and the safety of children were among their reasons for objecting, while the campaign group Wrong Plan Wrong Site said more than 3,000 public objections had been raised, including by Oxfordshire County Council.S1S2

Local MP Greg Smith said the decision showed the government did not care about residents of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, and said he would keep working to have it overturned and to ensure police protection for villages. Shadow home secretary Chris Philip called the move 'sickening'. Parish councillor Joe Marshall accused the government of 'walking all over rural communities', arguing that small villages were being made to host camps that could make homes unsellable and residents feel unsafe.S1S2

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the approval covered the temporary, phased use of the former MoD Bicester storage site, but declined to comment further because the decision may face legal challenge. The Home Office said planning permission allowed it to progress the use of the site, though a final decision to proceed has not yet been taken. It said more than £1 billion had been saved since the election through efforts to close asylum hotels and move asylum seekers to former military sites with 24/7 security and CCTV.S1S2

A six-week window is now open during which the planning approval can be challenged in court. The approval was granted subject to conditions, and the Home Office has said the final decision on whether to proceed with the site is still pending.S1S2