Villages across England have been left up in arms after the Government confirmed it is continuing plans to house up to 1,200 asylum seekers at three former military bases in Oxfordshire, North Yorkshire and Suffolk.
Two of the three sites earmarked for conversion sit less than a mile from primary schools, placing the plans in direct conflict with rules the Home Office itself published in July.
The scheme, originally announced by the previous government in June, is intended to wean the asylum system off its costly dependence on hotel accommodation.
RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire — where Prince William trained during his military service in 2008 — has a primary school, nursery and children’s play area all situated within a mile of the site.
RAF Linton-on-Ouse is set to house up to 1,200 male asylum seekers, creating a ratio of six men to each woman in the 600-person village.
Malcolm Taylor, a North Yorkshire councillor, told The Times: “It’s quite an attractive site, it’s not one of your austere former military sites and it’s right in the heart of the village. So as a consequence, it’s right adjacent to the school, the play park That’s what has really ramped up the concerns of the community.”
In west Suffolk, RAF Barnham near Thetford is being considered for conversion into accommodation capable of holding as many as 1,250 asylum seekers, a proposal that has generated significant alarm locally.
A third site near Piddington, close to Bicester in Oxfordshire, does not neighbour a school but sits beside a children’s play area.
John Bauer, chairman of Barnham parish council, warned that some parents were already contemplating withdrawing their children from Barnham School owing to its closeness to the proposed site, a move that could threaten the school’s long-term future.
The concerns have also been raised in Parliament. Sir Alec Shelbrooke, the Conservative MP for Wetherby & Easingwold, pressed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on whether she would exclude the Linton-on-Ouse site from consideration, describing the location as “inappropriate” because of its “proximity to the primary school”.
Ms Mahmood responded: “No decision has been taken, and all these factors, including other community assets, such as schools and community facilities, are taken into account as part of the decision making.”
The Home Office’s own July guidance also ruled out new-build properties and homes that might be perceived as luxurious for asylum housing.
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Labour faces accusations of sidestepping local democratic processes by employing an “urgent” planning mechanism for the Bicester and Barnham sites. Rather than submitting applications through local planning authorities, the Home Office has sent them directly to Housing Secretary Angela Rayner for approval.
Officials have justified the fast-track route on grounds of national interest, but the approach has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum.
MPs from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives whose constituencies border the proposed sites have voiced concerns that the process is fundamentally undemocratic.
Andy Burnham has defended the proposals this week, arguing that residents of wealthier parts of the country must “play their part”.
He added that he was “prepared always to listen to people, to work with people and to pick up legitimate concerns”.
Anna Turley, the minister for border security and asylum, sought to reassure communities by insisting that migrants housed at the sites would have access to all necessary services on the premises.
“They’re not going to be in the village,” she told LBC. “Everything they need will be on that site.”
The Home Office said: “We are seeking to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, working closely with local authorities to reduce the impact on communities.
“This means closing every asylum hotel while moving asylum seekers into alternative accommodation, including former military sites.
“It also means reducing the number in asylum accommodation. The number receiving support is now falling, and asylum costs are down by £1 billion since the general election.”
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