Piddington Villagers Back UK Breakaway 285-26 Over 1,256-Asylum-Seeker Bicester Plan
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 16
Piddington Villagers Back UK Breakaway 285-26 Over 1,256-Asylum-Seeker Bicester Plan
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 16
Summary
312 ballots were cast in Piddington’s symbolic referendum, with 285 residents voting to leave the UK and 26 opposing the move in protest at plans for nearby MoD Bicester.
The Oxfordshire village of about 350 residents is fighting Home Office proposals to house up to 1,256 male asylum seekers at the former military base as part of a wider push to move migrants out of hotels.
Lisa Nandy said the government would not reconsider, arguing other communities had already absorbed disproportionate pressures and ministers still needed accommodation while tackling the asylum backlog.
Local campaigners and Oxfordshire leaders said the vote exposed both opposition to the site and anger at a process they say lacked proper community engagement; a public consultation runs until 17 September.
The dispute revives a long-running battle over MoD Bicester, where similar asylum accommodation plans were dropped in 2005 and this year’s proposal has drawn criticism from councils, residents and human rights groups.