# Piddington betrayal: Rayner approves migrant camp despite protest vote > Angela Rayner approves migrant camp in Piddington despite villagers' vote to leave UK. - Title: Piddington betrayal: Rayner approves migrant camp despite… - Summary: Angela Rayner approves migrant camp in Piddington despite villagers' vote to leave UK. - Keywords: piddington, angela rayner, migrant camp, villagers, uk referendum, housing secretary, mo d bicester, asylum seekers, local opposition, referendum protest, Dailymail - Source: Dailymail — https://dailymail.com/news/article-16288801/Piddington-betrayal-Rayner-plans-migrant-camp.html?ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490&ns_mchannel=rss - Published: 2026-11-12T23:32:22+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: piddington, angela rayner, migrant camp, villagers, uk referendum, housing secretary, mo d bicester, asylum seekers, local opposition, referendum protest, news, entertainment ## Piddington referendum Residents voted in September to leave the UK in protest against asylum seeker housing plans. > Residents voted in September to leave the UK in protest ## Rayner approves camp Housing Secretary Angela Rayner approved plans for a migrant camp at MoD Bicester. > Angela Rayner has approved plans for a controversial migrant camp ## Camp capacity The camp will house up to 1,256 single male migrants at MoD Bicester in Oxfordshire. > The Housing Secretary gave the green light to plans to house up to 1,256 single male migrants ## Local opposition Residents sued the government over the decision to build the camp despite their protest vote. > Ms Rayner decided to override those concerns despite residents suing the Government ## Wildlife concerns Campaigners claimed the Home Office broke the law by ignoring potential wildlife threats. > Campaigners claimed the Home Office broke the law by ignoring the potential threat to wildlife ## Government response The government promised to end hotel use for asylum seekers and use former military sites instead. > The Government has promised to end the use of hotels for asylum seekers ## Other sites Two sites are already running: Wethersfield in Essex and Crowborough in East Sussex. > Two are up and running, Wethersfield in Essex, and Crowborough in East Sussex ## Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized Rayner for using emergency powers to force camp on rural village. > Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary, said: 'Angela Rayner and the Labour government have betrayed the people of Piddington and Bicester by abusing their emergency powers in this way' ## Home Office statement Home Office says planning permission allows camp progress but final decision is pending. > A Home Office spokesman said: 'Planning permission allows us to continue to progress the use of MoD Bicester' ## Prime Minister's stance Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged affluent areas to 'play their part' in housing asylum seekers. > Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that people in more affluent areas of the UK must 'play their part' in housing asylum seekers ## MoD Bicester site The site was used as an MoD equipment storage facility before housing asylum seekers. > The MoD Bicester site, one of three ex-military locations where the Home Office is proposing to house a total of 3,750 asylum seekers, was used as an MoD equipment storage facility ## Village context Piddington is a 350-strong village with no shops or facilities beyond a church and community hall. > It is situated next to Piddington Reserve, a field where children play football and locals walk their dogs, on the edge of the 350-strong village that has no shops or facilities beyond a church and community hall ## Other sites planned Sites at Barnham in Norfolk and Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire are also identified but decisions pending. > Alongside MoD Bicester, sites at Barnham in Norfolk and at Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire have also been identified. It is believed that decisions on these have not yet been made ## Village protest Residents unveiled a 'Principality of Piddington' sign after voting to become independent. > Local residents pose with a 'Principality of Piddington' sign in the Oxfordshire village following the referendum result ## Government cost savings The government claims over £1 billion saved in costs since the election through asylum accommodation changes. > The Government is working on a fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country, with over £1billion saved in costs since the election ## Key takeaway Housing Secretary Angela Rayner approved plans for a migrant camp at MoD Bicester, ignoring a village referendum where residents voted to leave the UK in protest.