Photo credit: Brexit for Barnham?
A tiny village on the Norfolk border is considering an independence referendum in protest at government plans to house 1,250 asylum seekers at a military base on its doorstep.
Eastern Daily Press reports that villagers in Barnham are weighing up whether to follow in the footsteps of Piddington, the Oxfordshire village that has captured the attention of Westminster and the world’s media.
It is facing similar plans for a huge migrant centre on its outskirts and held a vote in protest which saw the community choose to leave the UK by a margin of 96pc.
While the stunt was symbolic in nature and held no legal weight, the publicity it gathered has left many in the leafy Suffolk village questioning if they should follow the same route to resist the proposals for RAF Barnham.
The chocolate-box communities are two of three villages in the country where the government wants to move more than 1,000 asylum seekers into military bases.
The third is Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire.
On Wednesday, the same day Piddington declared independence, 106 miles away in Barnham, residents gathered in the village hall to discuss how they could resist the plans.
Up until now, Barnham’s parish council has been taking what it describes as a more “evidential” approach than Oxfordshire.
Councillors hope that focusing on the planning issues which surround the RAF Barnham proposal – such as the various environmental protections on the site – will give them the best chance of defeating the migrant scheme.
The base was previously used to store nuclear and chemical weapons and some residents have suggested the land could be contaminated.
The site is also in an area known as a nesting ground for stone curlews, a protected species.
Many in the village hope that by focusing on these concerns, they may be able to block the Home Office.
However, support for a referendum is far from unanimous in the village.
There is some sentiment within the Suffolk community that the stunt would turn Barnham into a “laughing stock”.
Despite the split opinions, the leader of Barnham Parish Council has admitted the authority is considering the option.
