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Search the Public Notice PortalA police chief has warned that a proposed 1,250-person asylum centre near Bicester could stretch local policing unless the Government provides extra funding.
The Home Office wants to house 1,250 single adult men at a former Ministry of Defence site near Bicester, as part of wider plans for three military locations to accommodate about 3,750 asylum seekers across the country.
The shift away from hotels is billed as part of efforts to “fix the system” by speeding up asylum decisions, increasing removals and tightening enforcement.
Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber said he remains concerned about the additional burden the camp could place on policing without additional money or staff.
He said: “The movement of any large group into a community will have an impact but, to date, I have not received any commitment from the Home Office for additional funding or resources for Thames Valley Police to manage potential demand at the site."
Mr Barber is due to meet Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood later this month to argue that Thames Valley Police must be properly resourced if the plans go ahead.
He requested the meeting in June after the proposals were announced, saying he had received no direct communication from the Home Office in advance.
He said it would be “wholly unacceptable” for ministers to impose the camp “without providing adequate resources and funding to cover the inevitable policing implications, especially at a time when the force has seen reductions in our expected funding and underfunding of new officers”.
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Thames Valley Police, which was formally notified of the Government’s intentions in June, has been working with the Home Office to understand what is proposed and what it could mean for local policing.
It is understood an Urgent Crown Development application has been submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, a route critics say can shorten the planning timetable and strip out some usual requirements for public consultation.
Cherwell District Council leader Lesley McLean and Bicester MP Calum Miller have 'condemned' the use of the Urgent Crown Development process, warning it could sideline residents’ voices.
A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: “Since then, we have been working closely with our partners, including the Home Office, to understand what is planned and any potential impacts.
"While we are working hard to ensure we would be fully prepared should this application be approved, as this is still a proposal at this stage it is too early for us to comment on the details of this."
Since the announcement, weekly protests have taken place both at the site and in Bicester town centre, drawing people from across the political spectrum and sometimes numbering in the hundreds.
The local MP has urged “unity” and called for an “inclusive, peaceful and evidence-led campaign” to oppose the plans.
Thames Valley Police said it would continue to balance the rights of protesters with the needs of the wider community.
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