Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will look into concerns raised by residents of Piddington over the Government’s proposal to use MOD Bicester Site A for large-scale asylum accommodation.
Speaking to GB News, the Prime Minister said he had become aware of the campaign in Piddington and would listen to the concerns being raised by local residents.
His comments follow growing opposition to the proposal, which would see around 1,250 single adult male asylum seekers accommodated at the former military site close to Piddington and Arncott.
Children from Piddington have also written directly to the Prime Minister to explain their concerns about the proposal and the potential impact on their village.
Mr Burnham told GB News that he had not yet studied the MOD Bicester proposal in detail, but said he was prepared to listen to residents and address legitimate concerns.
He said:
“I have begun to become aware of the campaign from Piddington, and I will listen to what people are saying and respond to the concerns that they are putting forward.”
The Prime Minister also placed the Bicester proposal within the wider debate over how asylum accommodation is distributed around the country.
He argued that poorer communities should not bear a disproportionate share of asylum accommodation and said all parts of the country should play their part.
That wider question, however, is separate from the central issue being raised locally: whether MOD Bicester Site A itself is a suitable location for accommodation on this scale.
Wrong Plan. Wrong Site. believes that question must be decided on evidence.
The campaign is not arguing that asylum accommodation should simply be moved from one community to another. Our concerns relate specifically to the scale, location, infrastructure, accessibility and suitability of MOD Bicester Site A, together with the planning process being used to determine its future.
Important questions remain around transport and road safety, healthcare and public services, utilities, environmental impact, security, the condition of the former military site and the overall cost of the proposal.
We also continue to call for the Government to publish the full evidence supporting its plans and to provide local communities with a meaningful opportunity to scrutinise and respond to it.
The Prime Minister’s commitment to look into the concerns raised by Piddington is therefore welcome.
We hope that means those concerns will now be considered carefully before any final decision is made.
Wrong Plan. Wrong Site. will continue to provide evidence, raise questions and encourage residents across Bicester and the surrounding villages to make their voices heard peacefully and constructively.
