The UK approved temporary asylum housing at a former military site near Piddington, part of a government plan for about 1,250 people amid a pledge to move asylum seekers from hotels.
A government spokesperson said Housing and Communities Minister Angela Rayner granted full planning permission. It covers temporary use of the former Ministry of Defence (MoD) Bicester storage site, with the project to be introduced in stages.
AFP reported the planned residents would be single men ages 18 to 65. The Labour government has promised to find housing for asylum seekers currently staying in hotels and is planning reception centers on former military land, AFP said.
Piddington has about 350 residents and lies 15 miles (25 kilometers) from Oxford, AFP reported. A September vote on secession had no legal force; AFP said 285 of 312 ballots supported leaving the UK.
Residents demonstrated against the plan over safety concerns, particularly for women, AFP reported. Greg Smith, a Conservative MP representing a constituency near Piddington, described the approval as a “disaster” in a post on X and said he would challenge it, AFP reported.
