We received a petition asking:
“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to not build a Titan Prison on the Omega site in Warrington, Cheshire.”
Details of Petition:
“Warrington is being considered as a possible site for a Titan Prison on a prime business location close to the M62. This location is on the edge of a large residential area developed on the former RAF Burtonwood. The area is home to many people and in particular families with children. In turn this means there are 8 primary schools and 3 high schools within a short distance and many nurseries for pre-school children. Surely, a large prison of this type should be built in a non-residential area so that prisoners, thier families and associates have no chance of coming into contact with local residents. Further to this, the site on which it is proposed is part of a piece of land which hopes to attract prestigious businesses to locate here bringing thousands of jobs. If you were this type of business, would you move next to a 2500 inmate prison? I wouldn’t!.”
· Read the petition
· Petitions homepage
Read the Government’s response
Thank you for your petition, on behalf of the Great Sankey North Residents Association, opposing the building of a prison cluster (formerly known as a Titan) on the Omega site in Warrington.
The Government is implementing a 20,000 place building programme to expand the prison estate, including up to three prison clusters. We have said that it makes sense to locate them where the demand for prison places is greatest, so we are looking at sites in the North West, as well as the West Midlands and London areas.¼br /> ¼br /> Security will be the cornerstone of any prison development, no matter where it takes place. It is not unusual for prisons to be located near to local communities, and there is no evidence of which we are aware to indicate that the building of new prisons increases local crime rates or places the safety of local residents at risk.
We also believe that a strong case for the economic benefit for the local area can be made for the building of a new prison, wherever the site, and our experience of similar projects has demonstrated the benefits a prison can bring to a local and regional community. Building a new large prison has the potential to benefit its local economy by around £15 million a year and create 1,000 jobs directly.
We have yet to confirm our interest in specific sites, and the Omega site in Warrington is one of a number which are under consideration in the North West. Once sites are identified, we intend to follow the normal planning route, and will make an application for planning permission to the appropriate local planning authority.
Before we submit any planning application, National Offender Management Service officials will hold pre-application consultations with planning officers, local councillors and other interested parties on the detail of the proposed prison development in the usual way. This will include a public exhibition to explain the proposals and give local people the opportunity to comment.
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