UK govt approves asylum centre despite village 'independence' vote

The British government on Thursday approved a plan to convert an old defence facility into accommodation for more than 1,200 asylum seekers, despite a nearby village symbolically voting to leave the  United Kingdom in protest against the project. 

The Labour government, which has pledged to rehouse asylum seekers currently accommodated in hotels, plans to open a number of reception centres on former military sites. 

On Thursday the government said it had approved one near the village of Piddington, a community of 350 inhabitants 25 kilometres (15 miles) from Oxford, which held a ballot in September to oppose the plan.

The housing and communities minister Angela Rayner "has granted full planning permission for the temporary, phased use of the former MOD Bicester storage site", a spokesperson said. 

The government plans to house around 1,250 asylum seekers on the former Ministry of Defence site, all single men between 18 and 65. 

This summer, Piddington residents held protests to oppose the project, saying they were worried about their safety, particularly that of women. 

In the referendum in September, 285 out of 312 votes were cast in favour of seceding from the United Kingdom and "pursuing self-determination".

The vote had no legal weight but made headlines around the world, putting the village at the centre of the UK's debate on asylum and immigration for a few days.

Greg Smith, an MP for the opposition Conservative Party whose constituency is near the site, condemned the decision as a "disaster".

"This is totally outrageous and proves this government don’t give two hoots about us," he posted on X, vowing to challenge the decision.

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© Agence France-Presse