Buckinghamshire Council leader Steven Broadbent says the Government bypassed planning to allow asylum housing at MOD Bicester. The council had opposed it.

Buckinghamshire Council, the council for High Wycombe, Marlow and Princes Risborough, has said it is “deeply disappointed” that the Government has granted the permissions that could allow asylum accommodation at MOD Bicester. Council leader Steven Broadbent said the planning process had been “bypassed” and that the council and residents had not been properly consulted.

Overview

  • The Government has made a national planning decision granting the permissions that could allow asylum accommodation at MOD Bicester.
  • Buckinghamshire Council says the site is close to the county border and that it formally opposed the plans.
  • The council wrote to the Government twice and sent a full response to the urgent Crown planning application.
  • It wants full operational detail shared and proper engagement as plans for the site develop.

What the council did

MOD Bicester is outside Buckinghamshire, close to the county border, and the decision was a national one made by the Government rather than by Buckinghamshire Council. The council still made its case. It wrote to the Government on two occasions to set out its concerns, and it submitted a full response to the urgent Crown planning application. Mr Broadbent said that response went in “despite the limited timescales and lack of notification to do so”.

What the leader said

In a statement on 13 November, Mr Broadbent said:

“We are deeply disappointed with the national planning decision to grant the necessary permissions that could allow asylum accommodation at MOD Bicester. This site is close to the Buckinghamshire border and we have formally opposed these plans.”

He said the way the decision was reached had fallen short:

“The planning process exists to allow for proper consideration of all aspects of such a proposal, yet it has been bypassed. We remain concerned that key questions about local impacts, service demand, infrastructure requirements and operational arrangements have not been adequately addressed. It is vital that full operational detail is shared, coupled with proper engagement, transparency and full consideration of local impacts as plans for the site continue to develop.”

He added:

“The Government decision is based on their stated need to accommodate people seeking asylum, but local residents and councils must be properly consulted and their concerns fully considered. There has been no meaningful engagement with the council or local community that properly addresses the practical implications of these proposals.”

What it means for you

The permissions have been granted by the Government, so there is no Buckinghamshire planning application for Wycombe residents to comment on. The council’s concerns are about services and infrastructure near the border, and it is asking for the operational detail to be published. Residents who want to raise a view can contact their Buckinghamshire councillor or their MP.

The council’s statements are published on the Buckinghamshire Council website.

Source: Buckinghamshire Council.