1,250 men are set to arrive at the former military garrison beside the village of Piddington.
Piddington residents have protested against plans for a large asylum camp next to their village. (Image: Getty)
The Government has admitted that its security measures at a planned migrant camp in Oxfordshire cannot remove all risks to women and girls living nearby. The former military garrison beside the village of Piddington is set to accommodate up to 1,250 male asylum seekers after Housing Secretary Angela Rayner approved the plans using emergency powers. In an official planning document, officials acknowledged concerns about the safety of women and girls, community cohesion, policing demands and the potential for protests.
The site will have 24-hour staffing, controlled access, CCTV, security patrols and procedures for responding to incidents. However, the document admitted: “While these measures cannot eliminate all risk, officials consider that they would materially reduce security and community safety risks.”
The plans also confirm that asylum seekers will be free to enter and leave the site. Officials argued that its relatively isolated location and limited pedestrian connections would restrict opportunities to walk around the surrounding area.
The admission has angered residents, who say the security arrangements will not protect people once they leave the camp. Villager Gina Perkin said she felt “betrayed” and “very disappointed” by the Government’s decision.
She said: “Multiple times, the Government has said ‘we are listening to concerns’. They haven’t. They haven’t even been here.”
Ms Perkin questioned how CCTV at the site would protect people in the village, adding: “What happens when they leave that site? We haven’t got security in our village, so as soon as they leave that entrance, there is no security, no 24-hour CCTV.”
She added: “I’m not doubting that they will be secure with this security. But there is absolutely nothing for us.” The concerns come after local police chiefs warned of an increased risk of crime and significant additional policing costs if the camp went ahead.
The former Ministry of Defence site near Bicester in Oxfordshire is set to house up to 1,250 males (Image: Getty)
Thames Valley Police urged the Government to reconsider the suitability of the site, pointing to its limited infrastructure and reliance on organised transport.
Matthew Barber, the area’s police and crime commissioner, also warned that housing more than 1,200 people in an isolated location could increase the risk of crime, put pressure on local services and contribute to tensions between communities.
The plans were approved on Thursday despite objections from every council in the area and the police and crime commissioner.
During the consultation, 3,177 individuals and organisations opposed the scheme, while just one supported it.
Villagers have previously organised a symbolic independence referendum in protest at the plans, with residents voting overwhelmingly in favour of leaving the UK.
Some women have also signed up for self-defence classes, while the village has considered introducing CCTV cameras and an alert system to improve residents’ sense of security.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Ms Rayner of “betraying” women in the village.
She said: “This is a betrayal of the women of Piddington, but emblematic of Labour and Angela Rayner’s disregard for the law and women and girls’ safety.”
Ms Badenoch added that residents had been worried about the plans when she visited the village and accused the Government of ignoring their concerns.
The decision has also prompted criticism from neighbouring communities. Barnham in Suffolk, where a second asylum camp is planned on a former military site, announced it would hold an independence referendum on November 21.
John Bauer, chairman of Barnham Parish Council, said: “The views of the residents are being completely ignored. The Home Office says they are listening. They are listening, but they are not hearing.”