'Fact-finding mission' as village considers referendum

A second parish council is considering holding a symbolic independence referendum in response to proposals to house asylum seekers on a nearby RAF base.

Villagers in Piddington in Oxfordshire voted to become independent from the UK on 15 September in response to plans to house asylum seekers at MoD Bicester.

The chairman of Barnham Parish Council in Suffolk, John Bauer, says his village is considering a similar vote and a "small group" will travel to Piddington on Tuesday to meet campaigners.

"It's really a fact-finding mission to find out a bit more about exactly what they've done, how effective it's all been and whether that's something we would want to do in Barnham," he said.

Three Ministry of Defence (MoD) sites - in Bicester in Oxfordshire, Barnham in Suffolk, and Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire - were named in June as potential asylum sites as the government vowed to move away from hotel-based accommodation.

It is understood that RAF Barnham could house about 1,250 male asylum seekers.

A Home Office spokesperson said it recognised "the strength of local feeling in Barnham and Piddington and are listening carefully to the concerns being raised".

Bauer added: "We are going to have a look and see if there is any mileage in it for us.

"My personal view… is I think it is worth doing.

"Piddington have certainly raised their profile immensely for a village which is even smaller than ours," he added.

Bauer said that at the last census about 580 people were recorded as living in Barnham.

The number of asylum seekers compared to the village would be "disproportionate" if plans went ahead, he said.

He also said the council had engaged with a charity that supported refugees who said using an ex-military camp could be traumatic for the men housed there.

The use of former military bases comes after Labour pledged to stop using asylum hotels, a costly form of accommodation that has become a focal point for anti-migrant protests.

Other former military sites – Wethersfield in Essex and Crowborough in East Sussex - are already being used as housing for single males.

RAF Barnham sits close to the Suffolk-Norfolk border and opened during the early stages of World War Two.

The MoD owns the remainder and while it does not use the base, specialist police training takes place there.

While the government has not confirmed any numbers, a meeting of West Suffolk Council was told that up to 1,250 people would be moved into RAF Barnham.

In June, it emerged the Home Office was seeking to house about 3,750 asylum seekers across three military sites.

Those housed there would be men aged 18-65.

Concerns have been raised - including from local Labour MP Terry Jermy - about the men being free to leave the site.

The Home Office has previously said security services will be permanently on site.

It has also insisted that those who have stayed at RAF Barnham would not "end up living in the local community".

There is widespread opposition, with regular – mostly peaceful - protests taking place outside RAF Barnham.

Barnham Parish Council, West Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council are all firmly against the idea.

BBC political editor for the East, Andrew Sinclair, said: "Any vote for independence would, of course, only be symbolic - but that would be the point: it would show in an eye-catching way the strength of feeling over the issue of using RAF Barnham to house migrants.

"Residents in Barnham and other parts of the country who live near these camps have protested in large numbers, held meetings and written to ministers. But there is growing frustration that no one appears to be listening to them. Piddington's 91% vote in favour of Independence is seen as a new way of making ministers take notice."

He said the Home Office had said the military bases were temporary measures and the government had pointed to asylum seeker boat crossings coming down and deportations going up.

"But for those living near these camps, which are always deep in the countryside, there are fears about how this will affect their community," he added.

"They worry about personal safety, crime and anti social behaviour even though official figures suggest there is very little to be worried about."

The Home Office spokesperson added: "This government is working on a fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country, with £1bn saved in costs since the election.

"This includes closing all asylum hotels and moving to alternative accommodation, including former military sites."

Do you have a story suggestion for Suffolk? Contact us below.

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.