Write to the Minister for Housing and Planning
Ask the Government to listen to our community
One of the most effective ways you can support the campaign is by writing directly to Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning.
The Government is seeking to progress the MOD Bicester proposal through an Urgent Crown Development process. Local residents deserve a clear explanation of why a plan considered by the Home Office since November 2025 is now being treated as urgent, and how the community will be given a meaningful opportunity to have its say.
Personal emails and letters are generally more influential than identical template messages. Please adapt the draft below where possible and explain, in your own words, why the proposal concerns you.
Keep your message polite, factual and focused on the proposal, the location and the planning process.
How to contact the Minister
By email
AND
Ministerial.Correspondence@
By post
Matthew Pennycook MP
Minister of State for Housing and Planning
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
The UK Parliament directory also lists his parliamentary office as the House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA. For correspondence specifically concerning his ministerial responsibilities, we recommend using the Ministry address above.
Suggested email subject:
Objection to an urgent Crown Development Order for MOD Bicester Site A
Draft email:
Dear Secretary of State,
I am writing as a local resident to oppose the use of the urgent planning process for the proposal to accommodate up to 1,250 single adult male asylum seekers at Site A, MOD Bicester.
On 9 July, my MP, Calum Miller, was informed by a Defence Minister that the Home Office first approached the MOD about the use of this site in November 2025.
You will be aware that the use of the site for such a huge asylum camp is very controversial – and widely opposed – locally. It is very important that local people – and our local representatives in the councils, health board, police and other services – are given sufficient information and time to make an intelligent response.
It is clearly unreasonable for this to be considered “urgent”. The Government cannot consider it for nine months and then give local residents a matter of days to contribute to a consultation.
Can I therefore urge you to withdraw consent for this to be treated as an urgent application and instead insist that the usual planning process is followed, so local voices can be heard about a proposal that will affect us far more than any Secretary of State in London?
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your postcode]
Make your message personal
The draft above is provided as a starting point. Adding a few sentences about why the proposal matters to you will make your message more effective.
You could mention:
- How close you live to Site A
- Your concerns about local roads or pedestrian safety
- Your experience of local healthcare or public services
- The effect on your village or neighbourhood
- Why you believe residents deserve proper consultation
- Your concern about the use of an urgent planning process
- The need for transparency over costs and long-term implications
You do not need to write a long email. A short, respectful and personal message can still make a real difference.
After you have written
Please encourage friends, relatives and neighbours to write as well. Each individual message helps demonstrate the strength and breadth of local concern.