Angela Rayner grants planning approval for asylum centre in Piddington despite local opposition
Communities Secretary Angela Rayner has granted planning permission for an asylum seeker accommodation center at a former military site in Piddington, Oxfordshire. The decision faces local opposition, with residents previously holding a symbolic vote for independence from the UK in protest.
Why it matters
The use of former military sites for asylum housing is a contentious policy issue in the UK, balancing government cost-saving measures against local community concerns.
The Piddington campaign group Wrong Plan Wrong Site is seeking a judicial review into the proposed asylum centre. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA The Piddington campaign group Wrong Plan Wrong Site is seeking a judicial review into the proposed asylum centre. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA Immigration and asylum Angela Rayner grants planning approval for asylum centre in Piddington despite local opposition Home Office sign-off also needed for site that would house 1,200 asylum seekers near Oxfordshire village that voted to leave UK
Prefer the Guardian on Google The communities secretary, Angela Rayner , has approved full planning permission for an asylum centre at a Ministry of Defence site near the village of Piddington in Oxfordshire.
The decision approves plans to go ahead with the refurbishment and redevelopment of the former barracks. The Home Office insists that final approval is still to be determined.
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