Residents of Piddington have vowed that their fight is far from over after plans were approved to accommodate 1,256 single male migrants near the Oxfordshire village.
Angela Rayner approved the controversial proposal for a camp at MoD Bicester last night, despite villagers staging a symbolic vote to declare independence from the UK in protest.
Opponents had described the development as “completely inappropriate”, warning that it would overwhelm Piddington, which has only around 350 residents, including 46 children.
Villagers now say they never expected the application to be rejected, accusing the Government of effectively submitting and approving its own plans.
Joe Marshall, a Piddington parish councillor, told BBC Newsnight: “The quality of the application is shocking, with discrepancies throughout.
“The correct planning process has not really been followed. But despite that, we always knew it was likely to be approved.
“There are 28 conditions still to be discharged, all of which are effectively about whether the site is viable. So this war is not over yet.”
Mr Marshall also questioned whether residents could feel they lived in a democracy given the scale of opposition to the proposed migrant camp.
“I think this is the kind of development nobody would want imposed on their own community,” he said.
“This is not simply a NIMBY issue. It would quadruple the local population, expose residents to emissions from generators and potentially increase road collisions because of the proposal.”
Tim McNally, 60, chairman of Piddington Parish Council, supported the symbolic referendum on the Oxfordshire village leaving the UK
Angela Rayner has approved the controversial migrant camp plans despite Piddington’s symbolic vote against them
The decision can now be challenged through the courts during a six-week legal window.
Tim McNally, chairman of the parish council, said residents were preparing “many actions” and insisted ministers should be ready for a legal challenge.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “Last night, (Prime Minister) Andy Burnham was on a podium discussing violence and sexual violence against women, and saying the media industry had a responsibility to address it.
“But the reality is that this is precisely what the Government is imposing on us here.”
Asked what form the village’s response would take, he said: “There will be many actions, as you will see. We will reveal those as we move forward.
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“Today is a day for reflection, and we will decide how to proceed from here. But the Hillsborough Law exists for a reason, and we intend to use it.”
Asked whether ministers should expect a legal challenge, he replied: “Absolutely, absolutely.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the decision a “betrayal of the women of Piddington” and said it reflected what she described as Labour’s disregard for the law and the safety of women and girls.
Writing on social media, she said: “When I visited Piddington, I met a village frightened about what was about to be placed on its doorstep.
“The Government claimed it was listening, but it has completely ignored this community’s concerns.”
Residents put up a “Principality of Piddington” sign after overwhelmingly backing a symbolic referendum to become an independent state in September
Residents were angered by proposals to accommodate around 1,250 men at a migrant camp close to the small Oxfordshire village
Piddington is home to only about 350 people, while the proposed migrant camp would be located at the nearby Bicester barracks
The approval comes after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said people living in more affluent parts of the country must “play their part” in accommodating asylum seekers.
The Government has pledged to end the use of hotels for asylum accommodation, with former military facilities set to be used instead.
Two such sites are already operating: Wethersfield in Essex and Crowborough in East Sussex.
Other locations have been identified at Barnham in Norfolk and Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, in addition to MoD Bicester.
It is understood that final decisions have not yet been made on those sites.
A Home Office spokesman said: “Planning permission means we can continue progressing the proposed use of MoD Bicester.
“However, no final decision has yet been made on whether the site will proceed.
“The Government is working towards a fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country and has saved more than £1 billion in costs since the election.
“This plan includes closing all asylum hotels.”
