Announcing the outcome, Susannah Parden, vice‑chair of the parish council, declared: “We are Piddington, the village that roars.”
After the vote, council chair Tim McNally remarked: “This demonstrates democracy in action.”
“We came into the village hall as underdogs, armed with a daring idea.”
“We have sent a message to the world.”
Reacting to the village’s claim of having “roared”, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told BBC Breakfast: “I believe they have – we have heard them and we are listening.”
“I truly understand that changes affecting a community can be deeply distressing.”
“We inherited a massive asylum backlog, we are now processing claims far more swiftly, and we are removing individuals who lack the right to remain,” she said.
“Small‑boat crossings dropped this summer for the first time in years due to the measures we have implemented.”
“While we bring the inherited asylum chaos under control, we must also honour our obligations to provide shelter for those arriving in search of safety.”
Tim Beader, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “I believe this demonstrates that the Piddington campaigners have done an outstanding job highlighting their concerns about the proposed asylum centre.”
“This illustrates how strongly they feel about the proposal.”
“It is partly about the proposal itself and partly about the way the government has proceeded without consulting the local community or assessing the site’s feasibility.”
“This site is unsuitable for the local residents, for the asylum seekers, and for taxpayers.”
