A Piddington parish councillor has demanded Labour publishes the risk assessments for the housing of asylum seekers near their tiny Oxfordshire village.
Speaking to GB News, Joe Marshall warned that there is a “direct risk” in housing 1,250 asylum seekers next to their village with a population of less than 400 people.
The village’s protest against plans to house more than 1,200 asylum seekers at a former military base has resulted in the release of an anthem, as the village prepares to hold its second independence referendum.
The song, named Battle for Britain, was created by one of the village’s supporters on social media alongside a glossy AI-made music video.
Discussing the lack of response from the Prime Minister about their concerns, Mr Marshall told GB News that since Mr Burnham said he would “listen to the good people of Piddington”, they have not heard anything.
He said: “We’re more than two weeks since that sort of quick cornered discussion that the Prime minister had with GB News, where he promised to listen to us, and unfortunately, from that point onwards, we are yet to have any form of conversation.
“Our chairman, Tim McNally, is very present on social media, his phone number can probably even be found on a Google search if the Prime Minister wanted it. But unfortunately, he’s not reached out.”
Mr Marshall stressed that the residents have had “no form of consultation” on the plans to house more than 1,000 asylum seekers at the base.
Piddington councillor Joe Marshall has demanded that Andy Burnham releases the ‘risk assessments’ for housing asylum seekers near their village
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GB NEWS / PA
He told GB News: “The Home Office have still clearly indicated that they’re pushing ahead with the plans and that they’re they’re going to engage with the local authorities and the police and all the relevant people.
“But when we actually discuss things with the local authority and ourselves as a parish council, we’ve not had any form of consultation or even a discussion. We’re yet to see any plans, and we know that categorically what’s being proposed here doesn’t work.”
Asked whether the locals would be more comfortable if the asylum seekers were not allowed to leave the base, the councillor said there needs to be “secure site premises and improved vetting” of those being moved in.
He said: “I think it would definitely help the situation, obviously 1,250 to our our village population is easily three times if not four times the number that we have.
Piddington locals have released a music video in protest of plans to house migrants near their village | PIDDINGTON ROARS
“And I think the concern that we have is that if there happens to be five per cent or two per cent or one per cent that have got ill intentions, they may have mental health conditions, there’s a risk directly to the village.
“So if there was improved vetting, secure site premises that was well managed, then there may be potential that the village would be a little bit more comfortable with the decision, but ultimately we feel like we’re not having any real input on the discussion. And obviously we’re not being consulted at all about what our needs may potentially be.”
Asked what response he would like to see from the Government, Mr Marshall urged Labour to publish the “risk assessments” for not only the Bicester site, but the other former military bases housing asylum seekers.
He told GB News: “I think ultimately there’s a few areas that we’d like to have responses from. Would like to see their risk assessment of how they’re going to manage these sites. Obviously we haven’t got a local police station, there’s not really the resources in the police at present to respond.
Mr Marshall told GB News that the Government must ‘prove the proposals will work’ for all ex-military sites
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GB NEWS
“Grants aren’t going to cut it, there needs to be additional funding and additional officers, even potentially reopening the local station to counter this. We need to know that they’re going to be covered by the risk assessment that the Government has put in place.
“We want to also see how these sites are going to work, is there going to be any form of restriction on the movements? How is the actual vetting process going to work? How are people removed if they don’t meet requirements? And I think that’s the ultimate area that we need.”
Mr Marshall concluded that the Government must “prove that these sites will work” in the long run.
He said: “We need to know that the Government have put some consideration into our safety, because at the moment, it feels very much like if you were to put this to anyone with common sense, it’s a ludicrous proposal that isn’t going to work.
“So the Government really needs to prove to us and prove to prove to the country that this proposal works not just for Piddington, but also for the other sites, other villages that are going to have similar proposals.”
Andy Burnham has previously told GB News of the situation in Piddington: “I have begun to become aware of the campaign from Piddington, and I will listen to what people are saying and respond to the concerns that they are putting forward.
“I don’t know the issue yet in detail, but in some ways, as I understand it, it is about creating secure space and not have the HMO issues that you were talking about earlier.
“It’s obviously going to be challenging, but I am prepared always to listen to people, to work with people and to pick up legitimate concerns, and I will address those concerns.
“I do have to say we cannot have a situation where it’s only the poorest communities in the country that receive all of the dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers.”