The Home Office updated its factsheets for the proposed MoD Barnham and MoD Bicester asylum accommodation sites on 9 November 2026. Each now includes a question on why contracts are being awarded before a final decision.
Both the MoD Barnham, Suffolk, and MoD Bicester (site A), Oxfordshire, factsheets are marked "Updated 9 November 2026". Each lists a question 16 in its contents: "If no final decision has been made, why are contracts being awarded for the site?"
The MoD Barnham factsheet answers that the publication of contract awards is a routine transparency requirement. It says contracts may be awarded for design, technical assessment or site management activity needed to develop and assess proposals. These contracts relate only to the services described in the relevant notice and do not represent a final decision to open or operate the site. Any decision to proceed will only be taken following the necessary due diligence, assessments and approvals.
The source text we reviewed does not include the full MoD Bicester answer, so we report only the Barnham wording.
Other points in the two factsheets include:
- Both sites are described as former military sites, no longer in active use by the Ministry of Defence, that the UK government is considering using to accommodate people seeking asylum.
- Both are subject to detailed feasibility assessments, which "could take several months to complete". Any proposals would be subject to the necessary planning permissions and approvals.
- Each site would be used for a minimum of 10 years.
- If deemed suitable, each site would accommodate single adult males aged 18 to 65 who have applied for asylum.
- For MoD Barnham, the Home Office has submitted an Urgent Crown Development application to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The factsheet says the application does not predetermine the outcome and that no final decision has been taken on the site's future use. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is deciding the application independently.
The same publication also carries a factsheet for Crowborough Training Camp, East Sussex, likewise marked as updated on 9 November 2026. It says the site began accommodating asylum seekers on 22 January 2026, with a phased approach to a full capacity of 540. It also says the Ministry of Defence has given permission to extend use of the site until January 2030, subject to appropriate planning permission.
The collection states that where new sites are being considered or changes to existing sites are proposed, no final decision will be taken until the necessary assessments, planning permissions and approvals have been completed and properly considered.
What this means for applicants
For the MoD Barnham factsheet, the Home Office says contract awards relate only to the services described in the relevant notice and do not represent a final decision to open or operate the site. The factsheets also say asylum seekers are allocated accommodation on a no-choice basis, in line with published Home Office policy.
