Residents of Piddington, a small village in Oxfordshire, are holding a non-binding 'referendum' on leaving the United Kingdom as part of their protest against plans to house 1,250 asylum seekers in the community. The ballot is the latest action taken by the village's approximately 350 inhabitants to oppose the proposed repurposing of a former Ministry of Defence site.
The planned facility is intended to house asylum seekers, described in the notes as undocumented male immigrants, for up to ten years. The proposal has caused significant concern among villagers, with 133 women having recently sent an open letter to every female Member of Parliament detailing their worries. An accompanying online video viewed more than two million times highlights the community's organized opposition.
One resident, Paula Senior, 61, expressed her distress, stating she suffers from sleepless nights due to the proximity of the proposed camp, which is located just 650 yards from her home. She stated that while the camp is described as secure for its inhabitants, she would feel too unsafe to use her garden shed, located a short distance from the site. "We have been treated appallingly. Nobody has spoken to us about this at all," she said.
Another resident, Deborah Swift, 64, participated in the recent video campaign to voice concerns about the number of unvetted men potentially arriving in the village. She noted that the former military storage site is adjacent to a local field used by children for football and by residents for walking dogs.
Parish councillor and planning expert Joe Marshall commented that the application would typically not be approved due to discrepancies and contradictions in the documentation. However, he explained that because the project is classified as an Urgent Crown Development application, it can be approved directly by the secretary of state.
The vote is scheduled to conclude on Tuesday evening, with results announced Wednesday morning, ahead of the consultation period for the project closing on Friday. The UK government has stated its intention to cease using hotels for asylum seekers and instead utilize former military sites, with facilities already operational in Wethersfield, Essex, and Crowdon, East Sussex.
A Home Office spokesperson affirmed the government's commitment to relocating asylum seekers from hotels to alternative accommodations, including former military sites. "We are working to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, engaging with local authorities to reduce the impact on communities, and we have saved taxpayers over £1 billion on asylum support costs since the election," the spokesperson said.