The early stages of a legal challenge have been launched against proposals to establish an asylum centre on Ministry of Defence (MoD) land near Bicester, Oxfordshire. The Home Office plans to accommodate up to 1,256 men at the site.
Lawyers representing Bicester Countryside and Communities community interest company have sent a pre-action protocol letter to the Home Office. The grounds for this action include the absence of an environmental impact assessment.
Separately, planning officials from Cherwell District Council have formally objected to the application for temporary accommodation at MoD Bicester's Site A. The council's planning committee raised 15 concerns, including transport impacts, pressure on local services, and site safety. The local authority will submit its response to the government before the comment deadline closes at midnight.
The application is being considered through an Urgent Crown Development process, meaning the government will make the final decision. A Home Office spokesperson stated that former military sites would be "designed to be self-contained to reduce impact on the local community."