Suffolk Village Barnham Plans Piddington-Style Independence Referendum Over 1,250 Asylum Seekers at RAF Base Barnham residents will meet within a fortnight to consider an independence referendum in protest at plans to house 1,250 asylum seekers at nearby RAF Barnham. Barnham, a small Suffolk village with around 580 residents, will hold a special parish meeting within a fortnight to decide whether to launch a Piddington-style independence referendum in protest at government plans to house 1,250 asylum seekers at nearby RAF Barnham. The meeting follows a delegation's visit to Piddington, Oxfordshire, on Tuesday night to learn from the trailblazing vote that drew international attention. Barnham Delegation Visits PiddingtonThe five-strong delegation was led by parish council chairman John Bauer and included another parish councillor, Conservative district councillor Andrew Smith, who chairs its development control committee, and two villagers able to commit significant personal time. They observed Piddington's approach and decided to hold a special parish meeting to discuss an in/out vote and other measures.Bauer said the exercise stemmed from a feeling that the democratic process for asylum seekers' accommodation was not working. He noted the lack of information passed to local councils and MPs, calling it undemocratic. The urgency is driven by Labour's rapid push to move migrants from expensive hotels to cut costs.Asylum Seeker Plans for RAF BarnhamDetails of the scheme only emerged in June, with a decision expected this autumn and asylum seekers potentially moving in by Christmas. RAF Barnham, once used to store nuclear and chemical weapons, could accommodate at least 1,250 people. The village would see its population more than double, a ratio that could grow after leaked Home Office discussions in Norfolk suggested even more migrants could be housed.The base borders Norfolk, and a private meeting between Home Office officials and councillors revealed that a lot more migrants could be placed there than admitted. Barnham has limited amenities such as a hall, church, and primary school, but no shop or pub, raising concerns about where migrants, free to come and go, would spend time.Protests have occurred outside RAF Barnham since the plans were announced three months ago, along with sites in Bicester and Linton-on-Ouse. Violent disorder broke out in Thetford, two miles away, after reports the Home Office sought to quadruple asylum seekers in private accommodation.Environmental and Community ConcernsBarnham has relied on an evidential approach citing environmental issues. The site is a nesting ground for stone curlews, an endangered bird species, with development forbidden within 1,500 meters due to contamination fears from its past use.At the last parish council meeting, residents voiced strong opposition. Collette Skelly, a 58-year-old mother of two, said the referendum is a good way to raise publicity, noting nothing about Barnham is currently in the news and Piddington's action was a publicity stunt to draw attention. Another resident in his 60s supported it, pointing out that Piddington is being discussed in the news and the Prime Minister is being questioned about it, showing it is working.The special meeting will feature Piddington Parish Council chairman Tim McNally as a guest to explain his community's approach. It is also expected to launch a skills audit similar to Piddington's, identifying expertise individuals can contribute to the resistance. Bauer, 66, said the government is not listening and used the urgent Crown Development route with indecent haste, but the referendum has given them pause for thought.The Piddington vote earlier this month saw 90 percent of locals opt to secede from the UK in protest at Home Office plans for Ministry of Defence Bicester. Barnham's potential referendum could amplify similar frustrations over asylum accommodation schemes.