OXFORDSHIRE campaigners lost their Appeal Court battle against plans to build a massive accommodation centre for refugees in the countryside near their homes yesterday.
Tory-run Cherwell District Council, backed by local protesters, had urged appeal judges in London to overturn a High Court decision in April allowing the scheme to go ahead.
Mr Justice Collins then ruled that Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott had done nothing wrong in law when he gave permission for the centre to be built near Bicester.
The appeal against the High Court decision was dismissed yesterday by Lord Justice Chadwick, Lord Justice Dyson and Mr Justice Munby.
Bicester Action Group campaigner Sue Baxter commented: "It was not totally unexpected, bearing in mind this government is bulldozing this policy through, despite the advice from a planning inspector and despite opposition from every refugee support group across the country."
Home Office Minister Des Browne said: "I welcome this decision.
"The trial of accommodation centres is an essential part of our reforms, which are overhauling the asylum system and will help ensure that asylum applications can be processed quickly and efficiently."
If you appreciated this article then please consider donating to the Morning Star's Fighting Fund to ensure we can keep developing your paper.
Foreign Minister Alistair Burt's admission that the Cameron government has "supported" a survey of attitudes to US drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas amounts to a tacit admission of British involvement.
As Britain faces a new housing crisis we can learn from an occasion when tenants banded together to beat their landlord - and won new council housing
Iain Duncan Smith's brainchild came into force at the end of last month. It's bad news for almost everyone
Printable
Email