Final Decision Due On Wrexham’s Super Prison Recommendations

Plans for Wrexham’s controversial ‘Super Prison’ are set to go before a Planning Committee next Monday – with a recommendation to approve a further batch of proposals.

Councillors will meet on Monday night to discuss the final proposals for a 2,100 Category C prison on the former Firestone Site on the former Firestone Site on the Wrexham Industrial Estate.

The scale of the development (a maximum of 76,370 sq.m of floor space) and the position of two site access were approved at outline planning permission stage. The more recent application seeks approval for ‘the matters that were reserved for subsequent approval namely the layout and appearance of the buildings and the landscaping of the site.’

The development itself will consist of 13 buildings with a combined gross floor area of 72,622 square metres and ranging from 8.5 metres in height to 15.5 metres in height are proposed. The report goes on to add: “The majority of the buildings, including the house blocks, will be located within the secure fences. However a support building will be located outside of the secure area and will be used as the reception area where visitors to the prison will initially report.”

Adjacent to the access to the secure areas of the prison there will be an energy centre and an entrance building. The former will house the prison’s heating system as well as emergency generators. It is noted that the latter will ‘provide a secure entrance to the prison as well as visiting facilities’.

Further to this a total of 422 parking spaces (319 spaces for staff and 103 spaces for visitors) will be provided on land between the main entrance to the prison and a landscaped buffer adjacent to the Bridge Road frontage.

It was initially quoted that an estimated 1000 jobs could be created as a result of the prison being built. However in the planning application it is stated that around 764 could be employed, with around 413 jobs expected to go to people in the local area.

Earlier this year the outline proposals were approved by Wrexham’s Planning Committee, with councillors voting in favour of the super prison being built. One voted against and three abstained.

The £250million development on the Wrexham Industrial Estate was described by one Councillor as a ‘lifeline for the economy of Wrexham’. Speaking at the time Committee Chairman, Cllr Mike Morris stated Wrexham Council ‘have never had an application of this magnitude’.

However the response to Wrexham’s Super Prison has been mixed, with many concerned about the impact the prison could have on the town – particularly its reputation.

Comments raised by Abenbury Community Council are detailed in next week’s meeting report, listing the concerns the Council have regarding the ‘lack of detail in the original submission from Lend Lease’.

The comments go on to add: “Whilst the additional material goes some way to make up for that, most of it appears to be suggestions as to what they might do if, dependent on the outcome of talks etc. The prime example being water treatment. There are also inconsistencies in regard to Highway signage. The main concern is that the Reserved matters requires a detailed Landscape plan and this is clearly not provided.

“It is for this and, as stated earlier, for the lack of detail that the Council asks that this be deferred until that information is available and that, as a consequence, building work does not start.”

The application will go before Wrexham’s Planning Committee on Monday night at 6:30pm. If you can’t make the meeting, it will also be broadcast live on Wrexham Council’s website.