Andy Burnham Finally Breaks Silence as Nearly 20,000 People Sign Petition Over Plans to House 1,250 Asylum Seekers Near Tiny UK Village

Plans to house up to 1,250 asylum seekers at a military site near the small Oxfordshire village of Piddington are continuing to cause concern among local residents. If the proposal goes ahead, the number of asylum seekers at the site would be almost four times the number of people currently living in the village.

Piddington has a population of only around 314 people. This means the proposed accommodation for 1,250 asylum seekers would be much larger than the existing local population. Many residents have raised concerns about the scale of the proposal and are calling on the Government to listen to the community before making a final decision.

Andy Burnham is now expected to address the concerns surrounding the proposed Piddington asylum site after a petition opposing the plans attracted almost 20,000 signatures.

The petition, called “Stop plans to use MoD sites for asylum seekers without full local consultation”, had received 19,003 signatures. It was published on August 19 and passed 10,000 signatures just three days later, on August 22. Reaching that level means the Government is required to provide a response.

Support for the petition has been particularly strong around Piddington. A geographical breakdown showed that 2,721 signatures came from the Bicester and Woodstock constituency, where the village is located.

The neighbouring Mid Buckinghamshire constituency recorded another 1,379 signatures. There was also significant support from people in South West Norfolk and Wetherby and Easingwold, areas where the Government has also proposed using sites to accommodate asylum seekers.

The growing petition is another sign of the strength of feeling surrounding the Piddington proposal.

Last month, Burnham told GB News that he had started to become aware of the campaign in Piddington. Children from the village had also written to the Prime Minister to express their concerns about the plans.

Burnham said he was prepared to listen to residents and respond to what they were saying. He admitted at the time that he did not yet know all the details surrounding the proposal but said he understood that the issue would be challenging.

He said he would listen to people, work with communities and take legitimate concerns seriously.

Opposition in Piddington has gone beyond petitions and letters. On July 4, villagers even held a symbolic independence referendum as part of their efforts to draw attention to their concerns and put pressure on the Government to reconsider its plans.

According to the report, 98 per cent of those who took part voted in favour of Piddington leaving the United Kingdom. Another vote is planned for September 15, with supporters of the campaign hoping to attract even more attention to their cause.

The dispute began after the Home Office announced on June 26 that it would seek planning permission to develop Ministry of Defence land off the B3011 towards Piddington and Bullingdon prison.

The Government wants to use the site as accommodation for asylum seekers as part of wider efforts to reduce its reliance on hotels.

Burnham has also argued that responsibility for accommodating asylum seekers should be shared more evenly across the country. He said poorer communities should not be expected to take most of the pressure while wealthier areas take fewer people.

He said every part of the country should play a role, while acknowledging that housing large numbers of asylum seekers can be a difficult and sensitive issue for local communities.

He also promised to examine the specific concerns being raised by Piddington residents.

The situation comes as Cherwell District Council has lost some of its powers over major planning decisions in the area, with responsibility passing to the Government’s Planning Inspectorate.

There are also separate plans involving Campsfield immigration detention centre, around a 30-minute drive from Piddington. The Home Office has sought permission to more than double the centre’s capacity through a Crown planning process.

Concerns increased after a Government letter appeared to suggest that some work had already started at the proposed Piddington site.

However, the Home Office has stressed that the proposal remains at an early stage. A spokesman said the plans are still subject to planning permission, feasibility checks and other assessments.

The department also said discussions with local communities would form part of the process and insisted that no final decision had yet been made.

Piddington is not the only place where military land or former military facilities have been considered for asylum accommodation. Barracks in Barnham, Crowborough, Linton-on-Ouse and Wethersfield have also been proposed for similar use.

The Home Office says moving asylum seekers away from hotels and into larger sites could save taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds.

The Government has been under pressure to reduce the cost of asylum accommodation after the bill for asylum hotels reportedly reached £2.1 billion last year.

For residents of Piddington, however, the biggest issue remains the possible impact of accommodating 1,250 people close to a village with only around 314 residents.

With almost 20,000 people signing the petition and local opposition continuing, pressure is growing on the Government to explain its plans and address residents’ concerns before any final decision is taken.