Decision delayed for second time on controversial super prison near Harborough

A final decision on a controversial super prison has once again been delayed.

The Secretary of State was originally due to make a decision in early April on whether to build a new prison at Gartree, but this was delayed until mid-May.

And it has now been announced the decision has been pushed back until July 3.

Secretary of State Michael Gove, says more time is needed to consider the case following a hearing by the planning inspector last October.

Harborough MP Neil O’Brien says pushing back the final decision comes after he approached Mr Gove with fresh concerns about public transportation, as the only bus route which partly serves the site is currently under review.

It also comes after campaign group Gartree Action Group said prison population numbers were lower than earlier forecasts.

Mr O’Brien said: “I did promise we would fight this all the way, and it is good to see we have successfully forced extra time for additional concerns we have raised to be considered properly. It shows the Secretary of State is taking this appeal very seriously and the issues of public transportation and prisoner population numbers are genuine causes of concern that warrants proper scrutiny.

“The more I look at this, the more reasons I can see for this to be rejected. We have always pointed out that there was no proper public transport to the prison. The 44 bus goes one way past the prison to Market Harborough. The service operates once every one to two hours Monday – Saturday, with no Sunday service. That means at most times people will have to walk 21 minutes from the corner of the Gallowfield road to the prison, a country road with fast cars and no pavement.”

“The county is reviewing the future of the number 44 bus and there is a risk that even that limited service is not there in future. Extraordinarily, the response of the applicants for the prison is to argue that people should just ‘get on their bike’ if there is no bus. It seems bizarre to put this prison somewhere without proper public transport when there are so many brownfield sites that would be much better suited.”

Plans to build a new £300million prison, the size of 13 football pitches, next to HMP Gartree were unanimously thrown out by Harborough District Council last April. But a public inquiry was held in the autumn after the Ministry of Justice appealed the decision.

Local Liberal Democrat councillor Phil Knowles, a long-standing campaigner fighting the prison plans, has invited various Secretaries of State to the site of the proposed super prison. He said: “Has the Secretary of State finally accepted the evidence against this is potentially so strong that it should be scrapped?

“Has he accepted that the negative impacts this will bring greatly outweighs any thoughts of building this super prison, with increased traffic, infrastructure pressure and more?”

Gartree Action Group has welcomed the news and said making a decision is ‘obviously not coming easily’.

The Ministry of Justice has been approached for comment.