Council formally objects to plans to house over 1,000 asylum seekers at military base near Bicester

The decision follows a special meeting of the council’s planning committee on Wednesday, September 16.

It comes after the Home Office announced in June that it planned to accommodate asylum seekers at Site A of the former Bicester Garrison, between Piddington and Upper Arncott.

Since the Government’s announcement, there have been several protests in Bicester and near the site by residents concerned about the plans.

Cherwell District Council has now submitted its formal objection to the Government, calling for it not to approve the plans unless planning concerns have been addressed.

Cllr Chris Aramini-Brant, portfolio holder for planning and enforcement, said: “Since this proposal came to light, we have been clear that local concerns must be properly considered and that residents deserve the opportunity to have their voices heard.

“The council has now completed a detailed review of the application and reached a clear conclusion.

“As things stand, we do not believe these plans should go ahead, and we are making that clear through our objection.”

The council said it believes insufficient information has been provided to properly assess the proposal and that further information, clarification and mitigation are needed before it could be considered acceptable.

It has raised concerns about the impact on transport and local infrastructure and services, as well as nearby communities including Piddington and Upper Arncott.

Other concerns include drainage, wastewater and flood risk, environmental and ecological issues, and site safety, security and emergency access.

The council also questioned whether the proposed mitigation and management measures are sufficiently clear and enforceable.

It said residents, stakeholders and consultees had been given a limited period to consider and respond to what it described as a large and complex planning application.

Cllr Aramini-Brant added: “We recognise the Government’s responsibility to provide safe and appropriate accommodation for people seeking asylum. However, proposals of this scale must still be supported by sufficient evidence, detailed information and robust mitigation measures.

“There are still important questions that remain unanswered, significant amounts of information that have not been provided and concerns that have yet to be resolved.

“We are particularly concerned that residents, stakeholders and consultees have had only 10 days in which to consider a large and complex application. That is not how planning applications of this scale are usually assessed.

“We are calling on Government to address these issues and carefully consider the evidence, alongside the views submitted by residents and other consultees, before reaching any decision.”

Cherwell District Council will not make the final decision on the plans.

The application is being considered through the Government’s Urgent Crown Development process, which allows certain important and urgent Crown developments to be submitted directly to the Secretary of State rather than being determined by the local planning authority.

Cherwell District Council is a consultee in the process and has submitted its response to the Government. The final planning decision will be made by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.