Residents of the Oxfordshire village of Piddington have voted symbolically to leave the UK in protest against plans to house up to 1,256 male asylum seekers at a nearby former military site.
The parish council organised the symbolic referendum on Tuesday. Of the 312 votes cast, 285 supported leaving the UK, while 26 opposed the proposal. One ballot paper was spoiled.
Piddington has around 350 residents. Voters cast their ballots in a small polling box outside the village hall.
The vote has no legal power to make the village independent. Instead, organisers used it to express opposition to the Home Office plan for MoD Bicester.
Village Campaign Targets Asylum Plan
The government announced the asylum housing proposal in June. It forms part of a wider plan to reduce the use of hotels for asylum accommodation.
The proposed site, known as Site A, sits between Piddington and Upper and Lower Arncott.
Parish council vice chair Susannah Parden said the result showed the strength of feeling in the village.
Parish council chair Tim McNally also described the vote as an example of democracy in action. He said campaigners had started with a small idea and wanted to send a wider message.
The government has rejected calls to reconsider the proposed accommodation site.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said changing the plan would not be fair to communities that already accommodate large numbers of asylum seekers.
She said the government understood the concerns raised by Piddington residents. However, she argued that authorities must distribute accommodation responsibilities across different communities.
Government Defends Asylum Housing Plans
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he understood the strength of feeling in Piddington.
He also said the government needed to reduce the number of people crossing the English Channel in small boats. Burnham said crossings had fallen to their lowest level in seven years.
The government also wants to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers and refugees.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the Piddington vote should serve as a warning to the government.
Philp visited the village earlier in the week. He said the campaign was sending a message beyond the local community.
Meanwhile, Nandy defended the government’s wider asylum policy. She said ministers had inherited a large backlog of asylum claims and were processing applications more quickly.
She also said authorities were removing people who do not have the legal right to remain in the UK.
Residents Raise Safety Concerns
Some women in Piddington have expressed strong concerns about the proposed accommodation.
More than 130 female residents have written to female MPs about the plans. In their letter, they said they feared the development could affect their safety and freedom.
Local politicians and charities have also questioned whether the site is suitable.
Hari Reed of Oxfordshire-based charity Asylum Welcome said asylum seekers would be far from support services. He warned that the arrangement could also place additional pressure on local public services.
Piddington resident Christina Gower said residents felt they had taken an unusual step because they believed their concerns were not receiving enough attention.
Other residents said the vote had given the village a stronger sense of its collective voice.
Parish councillor Joe Marshall even suggested that the village could create leaders and identity cards for its symbolic “principality”. He pointed to the Principality of Sealand as an inspiration.
Consultation Remains Open
Oxfordshire County Council leader Tim Beader said campaigners had done a significant job of highlighting their concerns.
He said the dispute involved both the proposed site and the way the government had handled the planning process.
The Home Office announced the Bicester plan in June as part of its effort to move asylum seekers out of hotels.
A similar proposal for an asylum accommodation centre at the site appeared in 2005. The Labour government later abandoned that plan.
The latest proposal has faced criticism from local authorities and human rights groups.
The site falls within the constituency represented by Liberal Democrat MP Calum Miller. Miller previously criticised what he described as a lack of transparency and limited public participation.
The government has since published an Urgent Crown Development application.
A public consultation on the proposal remains open until midnight on September 17.
Miller described the consultation as an important opportunity for local residents to have their views heard.
