Britain's largest immigration detention centre, planned for a site near Bicester, was today given planning consent.
Members of Cherwell District Council’s planning committee voted by nine to three, with one abstention, to approve the UK Border Agency’s plan for the centre, which would hold up to 800 men.
The centre, on Ministry of Defence-owned land between Arncott and Piddington will be built to the same standards as a medium-security prison, with 5.2m (17ft) security fences, topped with razor wire The decision came four years after villagers won a three-year battle to stop an open-door detention centre – where asylum seekers would have been free to come and go – being built at the same site.
Action group the Coalition Against Bullingdon Immigration Removal Centre (Cabric) has vowed to fight on.
But the scheme may not go ahead it has emerged, as the UK Border Agency said it had yet to decide which of two sites to choose for the centre.
It was also recently given planning permission to extend Yarl’s Wood detention centre, in Bedfordshire.
A Home Office spokesman said the decision over which site to develop would be made later this year.
David Hughes, the district councillor for the neighbouring villages, said: “In terms of sustainability, I think it’s a poor location.”
He also called for better border controls to try to deter people from coming to the UK in the first place and said such centres would not be needed if that were the case.
Catherine Fulljames, the area’s county and district councillor, said: “The Army have a firing exercise ground that adjoins this site. What a location to put an immigration centre.”
Sarah Hayward, of Cabric, said the group was disappointed with the decision.
She said: “Because of the tight confines of the planning process they can only consider planning issues. In fact, there are many serious issues that aren’t to do with planning – the fact that people are subject to detention.”
Bill MacKeith, of Cabric and the Campaign to Close Campsfield – an immigration detention centre at Kidlington – said: “We will be looking to national organisations to take a lead – such as Liberty. Where are they on this?”
Supporting the application, Bicester councillor Debbie Pickford said: “I would very much like to see better employment in this area.”
The Home Office said the centre would create more than 500 jobs and could be open by 2012. continues here
Members of Cherwell District Council’s planning committee voted by nine to three, with one abstention, to approve the UK Border Agency’s plan for the centre, which would hold up to 800 men.
The centre, on Ministry of Defence-owned land between Arncott and Piddington will be built to the same standards as a medium-security prison, with 5.2m (17ft) security fences, topped with razor wire The decision came four years after villagers won a three-year battle to stop an open-door detention centre – where asylum seekers would have been free to come and go – being built at the same site.
Action group the Coalition Against Bullingdon Immigration Removal Centre (Cabric) has vowed to fight on.
But the scheme may not go ahead it has emerged, as the UK Border Agency said it had yet to decide which of two sites to choose for the centre.
It was also recently given planning permission to extend Yarl’s Wood detention centre, in Bedfordshire.
A Home Office spokesman said the decision over which site to develop would be made later this year.
David Hughes, the district councillor for the neighbouring villages, said: “In terms of sustainability, I think it’s a poor location.”
He also called for better border controls to try to deter people from coming to the UK in the first place and said such centres would not be needed if that were the case.
Catherine Fulljames, the area’s county and district councillor, said: “The Army have a firing exercise ground that adjoins this site. What a location to put an immigration centre.”
Sarah Hayward, of Cabric, said the group was disappointed with the decision.
She said: “Because of the tight confines of the planning process they can only consider planning issues. In fact, there are many serious issues that aren’t to do with planning – the fact that people are subject to detention.”
Bill MacKeith, of Cabric and the Campaign to Close Campsfield – an immigration detention centre at Kidlington – said: “We will be looking to national organisations to take a lead – such as Liberty. Where are they on this?”
Supporting the application, Bicester councillor Debbie Pickford said: “I would very much like to see better employment in this area.”
The Home Office said the centre would create more than 500 jobs and could be open by 2012. continues here
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