Plans to expand Gartree Prison near Harborough move a big step closer

Plans to expand a high-security jail near Market Harborough have moved a big step closer.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has now submitted a planning application to Harborough District Council to make Gartree Prison bigger.

MoJ chiefs want to build a new four-storey housing block at the 56-year-old Category B establishment.

They are hoping to increase the high-profile men’s jail’s capacity to just under 900 by locking up about another 250 inmates there.

The multi-million pound blueprint also features extending the staff car park and upgrading and improving the ageing prison.

The scheme will create about 100 jobs if it gets the go-ahead by Harborough council next year.

People will be able to comment on the initiative now that the wide-ranging plan has been filed with the local authority.

The Government is also set to build a new £300 million super prison at Gartree over the next four years.

The proposed new jail – which would house about 1,700 inmates – will be the “greenest” yet built in England if it gets the go-ahead.

The massive project will generate up to 700 jobs and plough about £75 million into the local economy if it’s backed by Harborough council.