The Government is facing fresh questions over its proposed asylum accommodation at MOD Bicester after a Ministry of Defence letter appeared to indicate work at the site has already begun, despite ministers insisting no final decision has been made.
Calum Miller, MP for Bicester and Woodstock, has accused the Government of making “secret decisions” after a letter sent to service personnel and their families described “immediate” work on the planned 1,250-bed accommodation site.
The letter, dated 25 June 2026, stated: “Arrangements involve the transfer of the former disused storage site with immediate effect.”
Just one day later, on 26 June, the Home Office announced it intended to seek planning permission to use land off the B3011 between Piddington and Bullingdon Prison for asylum accommodation. However, it has not disclosed which planning process it intends to follow.
The proposal comes amid wider concerns over Government planning powers in Oxfordshire.
Cherwell District Council has recently lost responsibility for determining certain major planning applications, with powers transferred to the Government’s Planning Inspectorate.
Read more: Planning powers taken from Cherwell Council as government places council in special measures
Separately, the Home Office is pursuing permission to expand Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre through the Crown planning process, bypassing the local authority.
Mr Miller said the MOD correspondence suggested decisions had been taken behind closed doors before local communities were informed.
“This letter yet again shows the Government making secret decisions in London and expecting local communities to simply adjust after the fact.
“It suggests No10 and the Home Office have been working on these plans for some time while service personnel, their families, residents and even MOD Bicester itself have been left in the dark.
“The fact that work is described as starting immediately, with hundreds of beds being prepared by the end of the year, only underlines how little say local people have been given.
“Yet no agreement has been given for an asylum centre to be set up.
“The Government now needs to come clean on exactly what it is doing, what planning route it intends to use to seek permission and why the Bicester area is being asked to deal with the consequences of a decision made in London without any meaningful consultation or consent.”
The Liberal Democrat MP has previously expressed concerns about the potential impact of the proposals on both existing residents and future occupants of the site, noting the nearby village has a population of around 370 people.
The MOD letter also stated that facilities management company Mitie, which operates Campsfield Immigration Removal Centre, would be responsible for delivering security enhancements at the proposed site.
A Home Office spokesperson said discussions regarding the Oxfordshire location remain at an early stage.
The spokesperson said the proposals remain “subject to planning permission, feasibility assessments, and due diligence, which will include engagement with local stakeholders and communities”, adding that “no decisions” have yet been made.
The department has not provided further details on how planning permission will be sought or responded directly to questions over the “immediate” work referenced in the MOD correspondence.
The proposed site forms part of the Government’s wider strategy to reduce the use of hotels for asylum seekers. Border Security and Asylum Minister Alex Norris has said asylum seekers are being relocated from hotels to former military sites as part of those plans.
