Angela Rayner has approved plans to house more than 1,200 migrants next to the Oxfordshire village of Piddington, according to a letter sent to local MP Greg Smith.
The plans, which would see 1,256 asylum seekers accommodated next to the tiny village, have sparked outrage among villagers who had been ferociously fighting the proposal.
Planning permission granted
A letter sent to Greg Smith states: "I am writing to inform you that today the Secretary of State has granted planning permission, subject to conditions, for the Home Office's application described above."
The approval follows a prolonged campaign by local residents against the scheme, which they had opposed vigorously.
Villagers' opposition
Piddington is a small village in Oxfordshire, and the prospect of hosting more than 1,200 asylum seekers has been a source of intense local concern.
The decision, believed to have been made by the Secretary of State, now paves the way for the Home Office to proceed with the development, subject to the conditions attached to the permission.
