In a statement posted on social media, Bicester Town Council said it is “deeply disappointed” by the government’s decision to grant planning permission.
“This decision was taken through the Urgent Crown Development process, bypassing normal local planning scrutiny, despite strong and well-founded objections… regarding the suitability of the site, infrastructure capacity, community safety, and the lack of meaningful consultation,” it said.
The council said it will now prepare a formal response to the government “setting out its continuing concerns and seeking clear assurances on the issues raised”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the plans were a “betrayal of the women of Piddington” and “emblematic of Labour and Angela Rayner’s disregard for the law and women and girls’ safety”.
She said on social media: “When I visited Piddington I met a village terrified of what was about to land on their doorstep.
“The Government said it was listening, instead it’s completely ignored this community’s concerns.
“The 1,000+ male migrants that Labour are about to deposit in Oxfordshire are in Britain illegally. They should be deported as soon as possible, not housed in areas completely unsuitable for the task.”
Reform UK home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said Piddington has become “ground zero for the invasion of Britain”.
Speaking in Piddington, he told broadcasters: “Despite an enormous campaign from local residents demanding that the government doesn’t dump 1,200 illegal migrant men into their village, Angela Rayner has approved it. It’s absolutely shocking.”
On whether using the former military site to house asylum seekers is a better use of taxpayers’ money than using hotels, Yusuf said: “The only thing that should be happening with these people is them being detained and deported back to the country from which they came.”
Additional reporting by Press Association.
