It is due to be running by mid-2006.Mr Blunkett floated the idea of four such centres, but the initiative has struggled in the face of opposition from residents. Mr Prescott vetoed plans to turn the former Newton RAF base in Bingham, near Nottingham, into a centre and the Home Office has scrapped a proposal to house 400 single men at the disused HMS Daedalus air base at Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire.Tony Baldry, the Tory MP whose Banbury constituency includes Bicester, said: “This is deeply disappointing. It will disappoint local residents who have every reason to be worried. And it will disappoint refugees after the dire warnings of every welfare organisation. Ministers have bulldozed through this friendless policy and made a mockery of planning democracy.”.

A Soviet-style military parade shut down the streets of Kiev yesterday as Ukraine entered the final stretch of a tense election campaign marred by allegations of dirty tricks and intimidation tactics. Most independent observers believe the opposition leader would win a fair election by a clear margin.Observers say the result will determine whether Kiev charts a course towards democracy and the West or goes down the more authoritarian route of Russia and Belarus.A bitter campaign has been fought against a backdrop of bomb explosions and opposition supporters being beaten and detained. “On the day of voting there will be several tens of thousands of men in uniforms near Kiev,” said Mr Yushchenko, “or has the government even forgotten the date on which Kiev was liberated?”Mr Yushchenko is running neck and neck in the polls with Mr Yanukovych, the chosen successor of the incumbent, Leonid Kuchma, and the vote is seen as a watershed for Ukrainians. The Russian leader used the show of force as an occasion for some high-profile campaigning on behalf of the pro-Moscow candidate.The parade itself – to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Ukraine’s liberation from the Nazis – was brought forward by a week, without explanation, and overshadows the last 72 hours of the campaign.Supporters of Viktor Yushchenko, leader of the pro-Western democratic coalition, say they have a real chance of winning and that has prompted the military presence. They will get a small allowance and, although they will be free to come and go, they will be expected to stay overnight.The Home Office has awarded the contract to operate it to Global Solutions UK Ltd, formerly Group 4. Asylum-seekers will stay for up to six months while their claims are assessed.

The planning inspector said no but the Government just bulldozed it through.”In 2002, the Home Office submitted its proposals to Cherwell council to house up to 750 asylum-seekers in a purpose-built site on former Ministry of Defence land. It could hold 400 single men, 50 single women and 300 family members.The centre will have health and educational facilities. We’ve fought a very long campaign and we are absolutely gutted.”Cherwell council is considering an appeal to the Lords. Its leader, Barry Wood, said: “We felt we had to stand behind the local people and fight an injustice. He said accommodation centres would be an essential way of helping to ensure ensure asylum applications were processed quickly and effectively.Dionne Arrowsmith, of the Bicester Action Group, said: “This decision is completely and utterly disappointing for many thousands of local people. Des Browne, the Immigration minister, said he recognised residents’ concerns, but he did not believe the proposal would be a “detriment to the community”.

But their attempt to overturn the decision by John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, to give the project planning permission was rejected yesterday by the Court of Appeal.It upheld a High Court ruling that Mr Prescott had done nothing wrong in law when he approved the scheme. The much-delayed scheme to build Britain’s first accommodation centre for asylum-seekers in the Oxfordshire countryside was approved yesterday after a bitter battle between the Government and protesters.
Three years ago, David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, announced plans for a network of centres to take the pressure of dealing with asylum-seekers off London and other major cities.Council-backed residents have fought a two-year campaign against the proposed complex near Bicester, claiming it would lead to an influx of “criminals and perverts”. “A quirky Christmas gift for a foodie who has everything?” the judges said.. At a cost of £1,655, its only purpose is to scoop mussels from their shells. “There seem to be a lot of things which just clutter up all the kitchen drawers,” said Nicholson. The judges awarded a booby prize to a Mussel Eater made of silver and gilt from R&O. For years, the television has been that grey box in the corner – except when it’s on, of course.