Home Office minister Anna Turley has confirmed that the government intends to continue using disused military bases to accommodate asylum seekers, despite mounting opposition from residents near several proposed sites. Speaking in an interview with a national broadcaster, she said the priority was to ensure asylum seekers were housed in locations that were both secure and appropriate, and that former Ministry of Defence properties met that requirement because they were self-contained and equipped with on-site facilities.
Campaigners in the areas selected for the new centres argue that small communities lack the infrastructure to absorb large numbers of new arrivals. In Piddington, Oxfordshire, protests have erupted over proposals to place more than 1,000 asylum seekers at a site near the village.
Why is the government turning to former military sites?
Ministers say the shift away from hotel accommodation is intended to cut costs and reduce disruption to local communities, while ensuring asylum seekers—who would otherwise face destitution—are housed in supervised settings. Turley pointed to the closure of a further 13 hotels across England, announced on Wednesday, as evidence that the hotel-based system is being wound down. She cited the case of the Metropole hotel in Blackpool, describing it as an "iconic" building that has now been freed from asylum accommodation use and returned to the town's tourism economy.
The priority is to ensure we look after asylum seekers in a secure place that is more appropriate and we limit the impact on communities.
Asked to clarify what she meant by secure, Turley said:
Examples we are looking at is former military bases and we have two up and running and possibly another three. They have have facilities on site and are more contained and it limits the impact on on communities. We are looking at other sites such as former industrial sites, student accommodation - accommodation that is more more appropriate than hotels.
What is happening in Piddington?
Residents of the Oxfordshire village have responded to the plans with what local officials describe as deep unease. Mike Nixon, vice-chairman of Piddington Parish Council, said the proposal had generated significant anxiety among the roughly 400 people who live there, warning that an asylum centre would fundamentally alter daily life in the village.
The strength of feeling has led the parish to stage a symbolic independence referendum, asking residents whether they wish to remain part of the United Kingdom. Nixon said the community felt it had been shut out of the decision-making process entirely.
We're still very frustrated. Andy Burnham did say that he's willing to listen, but we've had no formal contact. No consultation, nothing from the Home Office.
We felt that the only way of making our views felt was to say 'well if we're not going to be listened to, what's the point of being a part of the country?'
Which other sites are affected?
Two former military bases—RAF Wethersfield in Essex and Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex—are already operating as asylum accommodation. In June, the government set out plans for three additional sites, including the one near Piddington, a former RAF base in Barnham, Suffolk, and RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, whose Labour mayor has said the location is simply wrong for the purpose.
Opposition has been building at several of these locations for weeks. Local councillors near Barnham unanimously rejected the plan to house up to 1,250 asylum seekers there, citing inadequate infrastructure, as detailed in earlier coverage of the Barnham opposition. Tensions in the wider Barnham area have since escalated further, with reporting from Thetford describing three consecutive nights of disorder targeting properties believed to house asylum seekers, alongside residents' complaints of a lack of consultation. Not every proposed site has gone ahead, however: a separate plan to house 300 male asylum seekers at Cameron Barracks in Inverness was scrapped earlier this year following local resistance and logistical difficulties, according to coverage of the decision to drop the Inverness scheme.
How many people could be housed at these sites?
According to a BBC report, the Home Office is now seeking planning permission for the three new sites—near Bicester in Oxfordshire, at Barnham in Suffolk, and at Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire—which could together provide capacity for around 3,750 asylum seekers if the applications are approved. The same report notes that the government is also seeking to extend the use of the existing Crowborough site until 2030 and to keep Wethersfield operating beyond 2027.
Separate reporting from the Telegraph indicates that Crowborough's capacity is being expanded from 540 places and Wethersfield's from 800, with the latter site potentially rising to 1,200 places. The government's own published factsheets describe the sites as temporary accommodation for people who have applied for asylum and would otherwise be left without housing, framing the policy as part of a broader accommodation strategy rather than permanent settlement.
This latest push builds on plans first announced in June, when the Home Office set out its intention to expand the use of military bases to house thousands of asylum seekers as part of efforts to reduce reliance on hotels, as covered in our earlier report on the expansion plans.
What happens next?
Government factsheets state that no final decision on new or expanded military sites will be made until the necessary assessments, planning permissions and other approvals have been completed. That means the timeline for opening the Bicester, Barnham and Linton-on-Ouse sites remains undetermined, pending the outcome of those planning applications. Similarly, the extensions sought for Crowborough, to 2030, and Wethersfield, beyond 2027, are contingent on future approvals and lease arrangements rather than being confirmed outcomes.
Key Facts
- Two former military bases—RAF Wethersfield and Crowborough Training Camp—are already housing asylum seekers.
- Three additional sites are proposed near Bicester (Piddington), Barnham and Linton-on-Ouse, with combined capacity for about 3,750 people if approved.
- A further 13 asylum hotels across England were closed, the government announced on a Wednesday this year.
- Piddington residents held a symbolic independence referendum in protest at the lack of consultation.
- Government guidance confirms no final decision on new sites will be made until planning permissions and assessments are complete.
