Residents of Piddington have demanded urgent action from the government after more than 90 per cent of voters backed a symbolic referendum for the Oxfordshire village to “leave the UK”, intensifying opposition to plans to accommodate 1,256 asylum seekers at a nearby Ministry of Defence site.
The unofficial referendum, held as a protest against the government’s asylum accommodation plans, saw 285 of the village’s 350 residents vote to leave Britain, while 26 voted to remain, according to the result announced by Susannah Parden.
The vote has no legal effect, but has become a focal point for residents challenging the government’s plans for the MoD Bicester site and what they regard as the limited influence available to the local community.
Sandra, a resident who spoke to GB News after the result, said she was “thrilled” by the outcome.
“I think it says what Piddington has been saying for a long, long time – actually, it’s not that long, is it? Because it’s only been since the beginning of July.
“But actually, as a democratic country, we should have a voice, and we’ve been denied it. I know this is just the beginning of the journey for us.
“Just because we are now the principality of Piddington, that does not mean to say that the Government are going to stop their plans for the 1,256 residents for the asylum centre in Bicester.”
For Derek, who has lived in Piddington for 53 years, the dispute has highlighted concerns about how the proposed development could affect a small and ageing community.
“In my view, the Government never really take that much notice of what people think. I didn’t vote Labour, but people who voted them in, I don’t think they quite understand what life is about, to be honest with you.
“This village here, I’ve been here 53 years now, a lovely little quiet village. I’ve seen it grow very slowly and I’ve seen things go. We used to have a pub, we used to have a school, we used to have the post office. Everything is gone.”
Derek said he was particularly concerned about elderly residents and children.
“And now the people of the village who I’m very concerned about, especially the children and the women and the widows, there’s quite a lot of old widows here.
“And if these people arrive on our doorsteps, how do we protect these people? They’re very vulnerable. I’m 86 and if two of them came up to me, I would not be able to do anything to try and defend myself to be honest.”
He added that the controversy was already affecting residents’ decisions about their homes.
“My wife wants to move, and I don’t. We’ve been looking into securing our home, which is going to cost so many thousands. I’ve had these quotes come through to try and protect ourselves, and the Government just don’t listen to any of it.
“We’ve had no reply from the actual Government, nothing, and this is a big occasion. Look at today, all the media here, the world knows of Piddington.”
The dispute also extends beyond questions of accommodation and community impact to environmental concerns.
Jo, a farmer who has lived in Piddington for 56 years, described the proposed site as a “mass biodiverse ecosystem” and called for an “environmental impact survey”.
“The village has changed a lot, but the community spirit here is still incredibly strong. These people are my friends, but they’re also like my extended family. I have two teenage daughters, so I’m very concerned for their future here.
“We’re farmers, and I’d like the Government to just do this in a legal way. They’re trying to push this through using these urgent Crown development powers, but they’re not considering what’s actually there in the site at the present time.
“I’m a custodian of the countryside as a farmer, and so for me, it’s important that the Government look at the site from all aspects and consider redoing an environmental impact statement, which they have said that they don’t need to do.”
She added: “But yet when you look at the species, it’s a species-rich environment. There is a massive biodiverse ecosystem in that site.
“Please can we have some transparent surveys that take that into account? We are passionate about that. For me, it’s really important that this is acknowledged and the Government goes through due process rather than pushing it through under the radar in order to achieve their aim, which isn’t necessarily in the ecological, international or national interest.”
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