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	Prescott gives go ahead for centre
	Wednesday 20 August 03

	John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, yesterday gave the go-ahead for the controversial new Accommodation Centre for asylum seekers on Ministry of Defence land near the village of Arncott, outside Bicester - over ruling an independent planning Inspector in the process. Planning permission did not need to be applied for, as the site is Crown land and thus not subject to planning laws which apply to the rest of the country. Nevertheless, the planning application had been made by another Government department, the Home Office, which would ultimately be responsible for running the centre, through a profit making contractor. A "non statutory" Public Inquiry was held commencing in December 2002 and spread over two months, to which Bicester Refugee Support made a joint submission with local charity, Asylum Welcome. The independent planning Inspector, who held the Public inquiry, recommended that the Home Office's planning application be rejected, but yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister overruled this recommendation and the Government gave itself planning permission for this controversial development. Bicester Refugee Support (BRS) said yesterday that the centre was wrong at the time it was first announced and remained wrong today. BRS believes it is too large with 750 residents; it is too distant from facilities and services, being 4 miles from Bicester and that an inappropriate regime for the centre was revealed at the Public Inquiry, which will leave residents frustrated and bored. "The whole thing is an experiment which has not been fully thought out," said a BRS spokesperson on hearing the news. "The people who will suffer most from this are the residents of the centre whom it is meant to serve. “We believe this is a bad decision. We have always been opposed to the Centre because of our concerns that it will not adequately meet the needs of asylum seekers “Now that it has been agreed we must offer its residents a welcome and make sure that asylum seekers do not suffer further as a result of this decision." Bicester has a long and honourable history of welcoming displaced people and refugees, going back to the First World War - a tradition which we should maintain. BRS has already received offers of help from local organisations and individuals who want to provide friendship and support. Bicester Refugee Support will be working closely with Asylum Welcome to encourage active participation by the community in support of the asylum seekers while they are staying in Arncott.
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