'We have to share the burden': Minister defends plans to move over 1,250 asylum seekers to 'newly independent' Piddington but insists 'no decision made'
The Oxfordshire village has a population of just over 350 but are set to house 1,256 male migrants at a former military base
The decision to house almost 1,260 asylum seekers in the village of Piddington has been defended by a government minister who has told LBC the UK has to "share the burden as a society".
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Minister for Victims & Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones, told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast "it is on all of us to take responsibility" to reduce the backlog in processing asylum claims.
It comes after the Oxfordshire village of Piddington, which has a population of just 358, voted in favour of independence from the UK, in a protest against plans to house 1,256 male migrants at a nearby former military base.
Ms Davies-Jones told Nick: "No decision has been made yet on Piddington, and we are consulting.
"We want to listen very, very closely to the concerns of everyone in that village and everyone in society as well as to the nature of this problem.
it comes amid reports that police have been handed a 'bat dossier' linked to the Piddington asylum housing site that could halt government plans.
Read more: How Piddington can feel more comfortable about asylum seekers
"But the Prime Minister has been very clear that we cannot keep housing those people who are coming here who need to be housed because the backlog of processing asylum claims is far too high.
"We are getting down on it but the backlog is too high. So these need to be housed in our communities, and it can't be that the same communities time and time again.
"Communities like Blackpool, where I visited over the summer, are being used to house these types of individuals. We have to share that burden as a society."
However, Nick put to her that a village with 358 residents welcoming 1,256 migrants would equate to London taking an extra 30.5 million people.
The minister responded: "It is on all of us to take responsibility here to get down this backlog.
"The government is going further in terms of ensuring that we are processing these claims quicker, but views will be taken into account.
"No decision has been made, I want to reassure you there. This is something that the government takes very seriously and all views will be taken into account."
Piddington residents made headlines around the globe after the referendum which was sparked when the government announced plans to house hundreds of male asylum seekers near it, which locals say will not be able to cope with the influx.
Some 285 villagers backed "independence", with a turnout of nearly 92%. Only 26 residents voted against the motion, with one spoiled ballot recorded.
The result was announced by a returning officer to an audience of dozens of residents gathered outside the village hall last week.
Parish chairman Tim McNally said that the vote gave "hope: to residents and described the issue as a "Battle for Britain," with housing prices dropping as a result of the asylum seeker plans.
But in a potential blow to the plans, it emerged over the weekend that villagers could be prepared to submit a dossier about alleged wildlife crimes against rare bats on the site.
Campaigners from the group Wrong Plan Wrong Site hope the scheme will be halted until full ecological surveys are completed, The Telegraph reports.
Complaints have been raised to Thames Valley Police over potential disturbance to endangered barbastelle bats by shining bright floodlights on the site during the weekend, which could be judged as a potential breach of wildlife protections.
Janet Chamdal, chairman of Wrong Plan Wrong Site, said: “The Home Office is frustrating the proper planning and legal process by progressing an urgent Crown development application before all necessary ecological surveys, environmental assessments and site-suitability investigations have been completed.
“Now, since the pre-action letter was issued specifying protected bats have been found on the site, they have over two nights floodlit the site, which can only be to disturb the bats and their feeding patterns?"
The Home Office spokesperson said: “Preliminary ecological surveys have identified no recorded protected species present on the site, and a licence is only required if officially identified.
"It has been concluded that use of the site is unlikely to have a significant impact on the environment.”
A Thames Valley Police statement added: "Enquiries are ongoing and the incident is currently being investigated.”