Overview
- Piddington, which held a parish council‑organised symbolic referendum on Tuesday, Sept 15, recorded 312 ballots with 285 votes for secession, 26 against and one spoiled paper, an 82% turnout.
- Villagers say the protest targets a Home Office proposal to use the nearby former MoD Bicester site to house roughly 1,256 single adult men and aim to force ministers to engage on local impacts.
- Campaigners and councillors point to specific safety and infrastructure failings in government documents, including no pedestrian pavement on the busy B4011, limited access, drainage and sewage shortfalls, and a travel plan that relies on taxpayer-funded shuttle buses and high-visibility garments.
- The planning application is not yet approved and a public consultation runs until Friday, while ministers defend the policy of moving people out of hotels to ex-military sites and say they will consider residents’ concerns.
- The vote has drawn national political attention and visits from far-right activists, raising risks of further protests, and refugee groups warn that placing people in remote barracks-style sites can harm integration and local cohesion.