The Home Office<\/a> is considering using the Bicester barracks to house 1,250 people, but this has been met with fierce opposition from the 350 local residents of Piddington. <\/p>\n In response, Andy Burnham<\/a> said on Tuesday that wealthy areas of Britain \u201cmust play their part\u201d,<\/a> and that the country \u201ccannot have a situation where it\u2019s only the poorest communities in the country\u201d housing asylum seekers.<\/p>\n He added that he would take a look at the situation, and said he was \u201cprepared always to listen to people, to work with people and to pick up legitimate concerns\u201d. <\/p>\n Speaking to the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, Tim McNally, the chair of Piddington council said he was \u201cpleased\u201d that Mr Burnham had addressed the situation and was prepared to help him \u201cfind a way forward\u201d.<\/p>\n Asked about the government\u2019s response that middle-class communities needed to play their part, he said: \u201cI fully support that and understand that. What Piddington is asking for is not to be exempt from the national responsibility. <\/p>\n \u201cWe know this country has a massive problem. The real issue here is about the scale, location and process. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not about the humanity of those being accommodated. Just because we are, as you may say, an affluent area it doesn\u2019t mean high capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that the village had been given no information about how the Home Office intends to manage the 1,250 asylum seekers in an open environment. <\/p>\n Home Office minister Anna Turley said they would be \u201ccontained\u201d on the \u201cself-contained\u201d site in Piddington but clarified those being housed would be allowed out.<\/p>\n Ms Turley told LBC radio: \u201cThey\u2019re not going to be in the village, they\u2019re going to be contained in a former military base, they will be allowed out, everything they need will be on that site.\u201d<\/p>\n She added: \u201cWe are looking at former military bases around the country, we\u2019re also looking at former industrial sites, student accommodation, other means by which we can put people in secure places that is contained and is manageable \u2013 going back to the beginning of our conversation \u2013 is more affordable than putting people in hotels.\u201d<\/p>\n She said the government will \u201credouble\u201d its efforts to clamp down on illegal boats crossing the English Channel carrying migrants.<\/p>\n Asylum seekers have been housed at various sites throughout the country, including at former military sites in rural areas such as at Wethersfield in Essex and Crowborough in East Sussex.<\/p>\n The government has plans for more housing at former military sites, subject to planning permission and approvals.<\/p>\n The Home Office is assessing whether Barnham Camp in Suffolk could be used to accommodate men aged between 18 and 65.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/01KW1AX08RM888JSS2Q7HB6H61.jpg\")
The Home Office is planning to use more former military barracks to house thousands of asylum seekers in its quest to shut more hotels (PA)<\/p>\n![\"There](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/737b6906584291dbeb630e71bf6ca557Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzg2Mzc0MzM3-2.85523605.jpg\")
There have been protests at the site since the Home Office announced plans for RAF Barnham in Suffolk to be used to house asylum seekers (Joe Giddens\/PA) (PA Wire)<\/p>\n