Residents of a small village set to house more than 1,000 asylum seekers are due to vote in a symbolic referendum on whether it should remain part of the UK. Piddington, a village of about 400 people near Bicester in Oxfordshire, decided in July to hold the vote after the government announced plans to house asylum seekers at a nearby Ministry of Defence (MoD) site. Under the proposal, MoD Bicester could be converted into basic accommodation to house up to 1,256 male asylum seekers.
The Home Office said it was "working to fairly house asylum seekers across the country" and that it had saved taxpayers over £1bn on asylum support costs since the election. The vote is taking place on Tuesday – but why is it being held, and will it make any difference? The Home Office announced the plans in June as part of wider proposals to move people out of hotels.
Known as "Site A", MoD Bicester is located between the villages of Piddington and Upper and Lower Arncott. In 2005 it was the target of similar plans for an asylum seekers accommodation centre, external, which were abandoned by the then-Labour government. This year's announcement sparked widespread criticism, including from the district council and human rights groups, with many residents expressing shock.
Chair of Piddington Parish Council Tim McNally said he was fearful over "security". Piddington falls within the constituency of Lib Dem MP for Bicester, Calum Miller. He previously said the plans had been "veiled in secrecy" and that the process did not guarantee public participation "beyond a narrow list of statutory bodies".
However, earlier this month the government published an Urgent Crown Development application. Miller called it a "clear win for local democracy and for every resident who refused to be shut out of a decision with profound consequences for our communities". A public consultation on the plans is now running until midnight on 17 September.
There is no legal mechanism allowing a village, town or city to declare independence from the UK. Therefore, a village holding a referendum can only be symbolic, which is what the one held in Piddington will be. It has been organised by Piddington Parish Council, following a vote supporting the idea.
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