Wrong Plan. Wrong Site.

Our community is facing a proposal that could have a lasting impact on Bicester and the surrounding villages.

The proposal would provide accommodation for around 1,250 single male asylum seekers at the site. We believe a decision of this scale must be based on evidence, transparency, proper consultation and a lawful decision-making process.

This campaign is not about the people who may be housed at the site. It is about ensuring that the decision is lawful, properly scrutinised and made in the best interests of the community.

We are now preparing for a Judicial Review

Following concerns raised by the community, a Pre-Action Protocol letter has now been sent setting out the grounds on which the decision is being challenged.

Unless the issues raised are satisfactorily resolved, we intend to commence judicial review proceedings.

Judicial review provides an independent legal process through which the court can consider whether a public body has acted lawfully and followed the correct decision-making process.

We need your help

Our original £20,000 target was established to obtain the specialist legal and planning advice needed to assess and challenge the decision.

Thanks to the extraordinary support of our community, that initial stage has now been reached.

We are now fundraising for the judicial review.

A legal challenge of this nature could be complex and costly. Depending on the issues involved, expert evidence and the length of proceedings, the overall cost could potentially be up to £300,000.

We do not yet know the final cost, but we need to ensure that financial constraints do not prevent legitimate concerns about a decision of this scale from receiving proper independent scrutiny.

Every donation will help us take the next step.

If you believe that major decisions affecting our community should be lawful, transparent, evidence-based and properly scrutinised, please donate if you can — and share this campaign with others.

Together, we can give our community the best possible opportunity to be heard.

About the Community Legal Fund

The campaign is supported by Bicester Countryside & Communities Community Interest Company (CIC), which provides the formal legal structure for the campaign.

All funds raised are held and managed by the CIC on behalf of the Wrong Plan Wrong Site (WPWS) campaign and are treated as restricted funds.

Funds are primarily allocated to specialist legal, planning and expert work connected with the campaign. A small proportion may be used for essential, directly related campaign costs, such as printing and public notifications, subject to the CIC’s governance and spending controls.

What happens to surplus funds?

The CIC operates under a statutory Asset Lock, meaning campaign funds cannot simply be distributed to or retained by the campaign team.

If a legal challenge does not proceed, or funds remain after all properly incurred professional and campaign-related costs have been paid, any surplus will be dealt with in accordance with the CIC’s asset-lock obligations and the arrangements established for this campaign.

Our intention is that any remaining surplus will be divided equally between our four named local asset-locked organisations:

BBOWT, Nais House, The Hummingbird Centre and The Woodland Trust.

We are committed to transparency and will continue to provide appropriate updates on the progress of the campaign and the use of funds.

For more information or to contact us:

wrongplanwrongsite.org.uk