The Government has revealed plans to use MOD Bicester Site A as a large asylum accommodation centre.
The former military storage and logistics site is situated in a rural location between Piddington and Arncott, south-west of Bicester. The proposal is understood to involve accommodation for approximately 1,250 single adult male asylum seekers.
The Home Office says that no final decision has yet been made and that the site remains subject to feasibility work, planning permission and other necessary approvals. If the proposal goes ahead, the Government says occupation would be phased and the site would be designed to be largely self-sufficient.
However, the announcement has raised immediate concerns about the suitability of the location, including its limited public transport, poor pedestrian access, surrounding rural roads and distance from essential services.
Questions have also been raised about pressure on healthcare, policing, emergency services, water, wastewater and electricity infrastructure.
Parliamentary answers later confirmed that Thames Valley Police was first engaged about the proposal on 18 June, while the chief executives of Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council were engaged on 25 June. Discussions with local NHS bodies were still being taken forward as part of wider operational planning.
The Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner also expressed concern about the potential demand on local policing and called for discussions about additional resources.
Wrong Plan. Wrong Site. believes a development of this size should not proceed without full public scrutiny, clear evidence and meaningful consultation with the communities most directly affected.
