Home Office Proposes Bicester Site for Asylum Centre

The Home Office has applied to convert approximately five hectares of a former Ministry of Defence site in Bicester into an asylum accommodation centre. The proposed facility would house up to 1,256 single adult men for an initial 10-year period using modular blocks and converted buildings to reduce government reliance on hotels. The application was submitted via the Urgent Crown Development process, which the government claims is necessary due to an urgent and continuing need for accommodation.

Internal documents describe the site as not ideal, citing poor drainage, localized flooding, unknown electrical capacity, and a lack of sustainable transport links. The development also sits within the Arncott Bridge Site of Special Scientific Interest impact zone. Government representative Mr. Burnham defended the plan, arguing that asylum accommodation must be balanced across the country rather than falling solely on deprived areas.

Local opposition has intensified, led by the Wrong Plan. Wrong Site. campaign group, which launched a £20,000 GoFundMe appeal to fund legal advice and planning expertise. Piddington Parish Council is supporting this legal action, while Bicester Town Council and Cherwell District Council are considering financial contributions. Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock, criticized the government for keeping plans veiled in secrecy and failing to give local communities a voice despite the claimed urgency. Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook defended the decision-making process as robust and lawful.