Councillors will decide next week whether to take their fight to stop an asylum accommodation centre outside Bicester to the House of Lords.

Cherwell District Council's executive board had been expected to make a decision on Monday night, but the matter has been deferred until November 10.

The meeting was held after the Court of Appeal dismissed the council's legal bid to stop the Home Office building a 750-person centre at surplus Ministry of Defence land, known as A-site, between Piddington and Arncott.

Cherwell's chief executive Grahame Handley said: "They want further time to read the complex judgement, and then they will make a decision next Wednesday."

Dionne Arrowsmith, co-founder of Bicester Action Group (BAG), which was set up to fight the proposals, said: "The principle is about changing the law over Crown land and not accommodation centres.

"I don't think Cherwell District Council or any other council should have to fight something like that on their own. I will support whatever decision they come to on this. I take my hat off to Cherwell -- they have pulled out all the stops to try to stop this centre, but there's only so much they could do."

Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell said he was appalled by the Court of Appeal's decision. He said: "The county council will back Cherwell District Council all the way if it chooses to take this to the House of Lords.

"Should this asylum centre be built, it will put a strain on the services we provide.

"Education and social and health care will be particularly affected.

"This decision runs completely against the grain of local opinion. My sympathy lies with the campaigners who have fought long and hard to oppose this."

Cherwell have until Wednesday, November 24, to seek permission from the House of Lords to appeal.

Tell us what you think.