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06/04/2004
Council's legal challenge to Bicester asylum centre fails
A district council's attempt to force a judicial review of the government's decision to develop an asylum centre near Bicester in Oxfordshire has failed, it emerged today.
Cherwell District Council was challenging the decision by the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to approve planning permission for the development of a 750-bed accommodation centre for asylum seekers at Piddington, near Bicester.
However, the Administrative Court in London refused the council's legal challenge. Mr Justice Collins ruled that there were no legal grounds for the decision to be overturned.
The council won permission from the High Court last January to proceed with its judicial review of the decision. Following today's ruling, the council confirmed that its lawyers have asked for leave to appeal the judgment, subject to detailed consideration of the written legal judgment.
The Council will be taking advice from its legal team before considering the matter further, leader of Cherwell District Council, Cllr George Reynolds, said.
Mr Reynolds said that the issue had generated "strong feelings locally".
He added: "We are naturally very disappointed at this outcome. We have always felt that the process and decision-making were flawed. We will now be studying the written judgment very carefully to assess whether there are grounds for further appeal."
Home Office Minister Des Browne welcomed the court's ruling and said that the trial of accommodation centres was an "essential part of our reforms to overhaul the asylum system" and there was now an urgent need to get them up and running as quickly as possible.
"The centres will help us set up an end-to-end system allowing us to quickly process asylum claims while keeping in better contact with asylum seekers and removing those whose claims fail," he said.
Mr Browne added: "I hope that the local community will work with us as we develop our plans in Bicester and drive forward with our reforms to create an asylum system that all people can have trust and confidence in."
(gmcg)
Cherwell District Council was challenging the decision by the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to approve planning permission for the development of a 750-bed accommodation centre for asylum seekers at Piddington, near Bicester.
However, the Administrative Court in London refused the council's legal challenge. Mr Justice Collins ruled that there were no legal grounds for the decision to be overturned.
The council won permission from the High Court last January to proceed with its judicial review of the decision. Following today's ruling, the council confirmed that its lawyers have asked for leave to appeal the judgment, subject to detailed consideration of the written legal judgment.
The Council will be taking advice from its legal team before considering the matter further, leader of Cherwell District Council, Cllr George Reynolds, said.
Mr Reynolds said that the issue had generated "strong feelings locally".
He added: "We are naturally very disappointed at this outcome. We have always felt that the process and decision-making were flawed. We will now be studying the written judgment very carefully to assess whether there are grounds for further appeal."
Home Office Minister Des Browne welcomed the court's ruling and said that the trial of accommodation centres was an "essential part of our reforms to overhaul the asylum system" and there was now an urgent need to get them up and running as quickly as possible.
"The centres will help us set up an end-to-end system allowing us to quickly process asylum claims while keeping in better contact with asylum seekers and removing those whose claims fail," he said.
Mr Browne added: "I hope that the local community will work with us as we develop our plans in Bicester and drive forward with our reforms to create an asylum system that all people can have trust and confidence in."
(gmcg)
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