Beverley Hughes

The government has set itself on a collision course with local residents after it approved planning permission for a refugee accommodation centre in Oxfordshire.

The decision contradicts the recommendation of the local planning officer, who said that proposals for the development at Bicester should be rejected.

A total of 750 asylum seekers will be housed at the new centre while their applications are processed.

The controversial plan was given the green light on Tuesday by deputy prime minister John Prescott, who is responsible for planning issues.

Ministers are also awaiting a planning decision for a further site at HMS Daedalus in Gosport.

"I am very pleased that the deputy prime minister has given the go-ahead for the Home Office to develop the site at Bicester as part of our policy to trial accommodation centres," said immigration minister Beverley Hughes.

"The Bicester centre will be an important part of the government's work to deliver our radical asylum reforms.

"Accommodation centres, combined with robust monitoring and removal procedures, will help us to deliver an effective end to end asylum system of induction, accommodation and removal or integration in the UK."

The minister accepted that local residents were opposed to the plans.

"We will continue to work with the community to address the issues raised in the planning inquiry," insisted Hughes.

"I hope that in due course local people will want to become involved in the operation of the centre, and have a positive relationship with its staff and occupants."

"We will waste no time in moving ahead with work at Bicester," she added.

"It will entail significant construction and other work and we are working with prospective contractors to agree proposals for the design and operation of the centre, including the expected opening date.

"We will continue to work closely with the district and county councils as the centre develops."

Local Conservative MP, Tony Baldry, described the decision as "utter hypocrisy."

The Planning Inspector's report unequivocally states 'no' to an asylum accommodation centre at Bicester. Yet contrary to a clear commitment to adhere to the Planning Inspector's advice the Government has chosen to ignore it," he said."The Government has ignored the Planning Inspector's conclusions that the accommodation centre would put an additional burden on already stretched local public services, that the location of the accommodation centre could be dangerous, and that the proposed centre contradicts the Government's own planning guidance.

"It's clearly a stitch-up between two Government departments."

The Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, Dr Evan Harris, argued the area was "too isolated" for a new accommodation centre.

"It is a pity that the Home Office is to be allowed to build an accommodation centre that is clearly too large and too isolated," he said.

"Sadly, much of the campaigning against the accommodation centre has been based on intolerance directed against asylum seekers, rather than on opposition to the government's policy or concern for the welfare of families forced to live in an old army base in the middle of the countryside.

"I hope that local campaigners will show restraint now that it is going ahead. It isn't a prison, and asylum seeking families are not criminals."

The policy of using accommodation centres has been heavily criticised, particularly following riots at Yarl's Wood in Bedfordshire in February 2001.

Two asylum seekers were given four-year prison sentences last week for their part in the disruption, which resulted in the destruction of two wings of the centre.