Eleventh hour plea to Government by campaigners fighting plans for huge prison near Harborough

Protest banner outside Gartree Prison.
PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER — Protest banner outside Gartree Prison. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER

It comes just days before appeal hearing is due to start

An eleventh hour plea has been made to the Government by campaigners fighting plans for a huge prison near Harborough, just days before an appeal hearing is due to start.

Cllr Phil Knowles has once again written to the new Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis MP, asking him to step in and block the proposal.

Plans for the controversial 1,700-male inmate prison at Gartree were initially rejected by Harborough District Council (HDC) - but the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) appealed the decision and a public inquiry will begin on October 4.

"As the appeal hearing is just days away I have challenged the Minister again, even at the eleventh hour and 59 minutes, to withdraw the appeal - accept the decision of the planning committee and to walk away," said Cllr Knowles.

Addressing the MOJ, he added: "Having not received a response I hope that this is a positive sign that Mr Lewis is looking at my request in detail and will take the opportunity to stop the appeal, withdraw from the hearing and accept the democratic decision of the Harborough District Council Planning Committee to refuse the application.

"Since my last communication I am now in possession of a petition, electronic and paper against this prison development, the signatures around 1,500.

"This clearly underlines the strength of local opinion against this proposed development - again I urge you to withdraw the appeal."

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The MOJ replied today, saying: "As you will be aware, the decision has already been made to appeal the planning refusal for a new

Category B training prison adjacent to HMP Gartree and for the appeal to be recovered by the Secretary of State at the Department of Housing Levelling Up Housing and Communities. The inquiry is due to take place between 4 – 12 October 2022."

Cllr Knowles said: "It states the obvious but seems to ignore the request I made for the Secretary of State to step in. It also fails to address the question as to if the Secretary of State has even looked at this. “

Councillors at HDC voted against the (MOJ's) plans at a meeting earlier this year citing concerns about the impact of traffic and developing on open countryside.