Campaigners fighting plans for 'super jail' near Harborough urge new Justice Secretary to step in and stop the appeal

Campaigners in the Harborough district fighting plans for a 'super jail' in the area have asked the new Justice Secretary to step in and stop the appeal.

Within hours of his appointment, Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP was emailed by Cllr Phil Knowles who has been heavily involved in the stop the super prison campaign.

Cllr Knowles said: “The appointment of Mr Lewis is a new opportunity.

"I have urged him to look at the situation, to accept the democratic decision of the Harborough District (HCD) planning committee where the application for the super prison was refused.

"Furthermore, I have asked the Secretary of State to step in and to have the appeal withdrawn. Now I await his response."

Cllr Knowles has made the same request to the previous Justice Secretary Dominic Raab - but his department said a visit to the proposed site of the Gartree super-prison as it would be ‘inappropriate’ while an appeal is ongoing.

Councillors at HDC voted against the Ministry of Justice's (MOJ's) plans at a meeting earlier this year citing concerns about the impact of traffic and developing on open countryside. They had also received 364 objections amid fears over growing pollution, poor air quality and loud noise. But the MOJ argued that the plans would bring great investment to the area and have launched an appeal against the decision. The appeal against the refusal is due to begin in October.

If given the green light, the prison would hold 1,700 male inmates.