Go-ahead given to plans to rebuild massive prison in Northamptonshire
Plans to demolish the existing buildings and build a new prison in the county have been approved.
Members of Wellingborough Council’s planning committee unanimously approved the plans at a meeting last night (Wednesday).
They gave the go-ahead for outline planning permission for demolition of the existing buildings and construction of a prison within a secure perimeter fence with access, parking, energy centre, landscaping and associated engineering works.
HMP Wellingborough operated as a young offenders institute when it opened in 1963 and changed to a Category C male adults prison in 1990.
It was extended over its previous operational lifetime and had a maximum operational capacity of about 650 adult male inmates.
It was closed in 2012 due to its age, lack of fire regulation compliance and inefficiency of its infrastructure and certain accommodation blocks.
The new prison has a projected build cost of £143 million and a construction period of 18 months.
The MOJ has said it would result in about 800 staff directly being employed at the prison.
To read more about the plans, click here