In Piddington, a village of around 350 people, one number now dominates the debate over its future: 1,256. That is the maximum number of asylum seekers proposed for a former Ministry of Defence site near Piddington and Upper Arncott in Oxfordshire. The scale of the proposal has triggered strong opposition from residents who fear their small community could struggle to absorb such a large population.
The proposal is part of the Government's wider plan to reduce its reliance on asylum hotels. But no final decision has yet been made on the site's use.
