‘This struggle is not over but’: People of Piddington vow to battle on as Angela Rayner approves plans for migrant camp for 1,256 single males close to their village
Piddington residents have declared ‘war isn’t over yet’ as they vowed to keep fighting against plans to house 1,256 single male migrants near their village.
Angela Rayner last night approved proposals for the controversial camp at MoD Bicester, despite the village symbolically voting to leave the UK in protest.
They had cried foul that the plans were ‘completely inappropriate’ and would ‘overwhelm’ Piddington, which is home to just 350 residents including 46 children.
However, villagers have now said they ‘always knew’ the site would go ahead, as they accused the Government of ‘submitting and approving their own application’.
Joe Marshall, Piddington Parish Councillor, told BBC Newsnight: ‘The quality of the application is shocking, the discrepancies are all over the place.
‘They’ve really not followed the right planning procedure. But regardless of that, we always knew it was going to be approved.
‘There’s 28 conditions that they’ve got to discharge – all, effectively, about site viability. So, you know, this war isn’t over yet.’
He also questioned whether ‘we live in a democracy’, given the strength of opposition to the migrant camp in Piddington.
‘I think this development is something that nobody would want to have imposed on their local area,’ Mr Marshall continued.
‘And it’s not particularly just a NIMBY issue. It’s a wider issue, quadrupling of your population, the exposure to emissions from generators, the increase in road collisions as a result of this proposal.’
Tim McNally, 60, chair of Piddington Parish Council, backed a symbolic referendum on the tiny Oxfordshire village leaving the UK
Angela Rayner has now approved plans for the controversial migrant camp – despite the village’s symbolic vote
There is now a six-week window when the decision can face a legal challenge.
Parish council chairman Tim McNally said there would be ‘many actions’ by villagers, and that ministers should ‘absolutely’ be braced for a legal challenge.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘Last night, (Prime Minister) Andy Burnham was on a podium talking about the violence, sexual violence towards women, and bringing it upon the media industry as their responsibility to manage.
‘But the reality is, is that this is exactly what the Government is doing to us here.’
Asked how the village would respond, he said: ‘There’s going to be many actions, you will see. We will disclose that as we move forward.
‘Today is a day of reflection, and we’ll work out where we plan to go from this point. But I will say, the Hillsborough Law is there for a reason, and we’re going to apply it.’
Asked if ministers should be braced for a legal challenge, he said: ‘Absolutely, absolutely.’
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the plans were a ‘betrayal of the women of Piddington’ and ’emblematic of Labour’s disregard for the law and women and girls’ safety’.
She said on social media: ‘When I visited Piddington I met a village terrified of what was about to land on their doorstep.
‘The Government said it was listening, instead it’s completely ignored this community’s concerns.’
Local residents unveil a ‘Principality of Piddington’ sign in the village after they voted overwhelmingly to become an independent state in a symbolic ‘referendum’ in September
Locals were infuriated by proposals to house 1,250 males at a migrant camp near the tiny Oxfordshire village
The tiny Oxfordshire village has a population of just 350 people. The new migrant camp is being proposed at the nearby Bicester barracks
The decision to approve the site in Piddington comes after Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that people in more affluent areas of the UK must ‘play their part’ in housing asylum seekers.
The Government has promised to end the use of hotels for migrants and will utilise former military sites instead.
Two are up and running – Wethersfield in Essex, and Crowborough in East Sussex.
Alongside MoD Bicester, sites at Barnham in Norfolk and at Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire have also been identified.
It is believed that decisions on these have not yet been made.
A Home Office spokesman said: ‘Planning permission allows us to continue to progress the use of MoD Bicester.
‘However, a final decision to proceed is yet to be taken.
‘The Government is working on a fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country, with over £1billion saved in costs since the election.
‘This includes closing all asylum hotels.’
