NEWS

Scale of airbase jail plan revealed

The full scale of the economic, jobs, transport and social impact of a 500-strong prison at the former RAF Coltishall airbase finally became clear last night with the long awaited publication of the jail planning application.

The Category C jail will bring an estimated £7.2m a year to the local economy and more than 450 jobs, at least half of them going to local people.

Meanwhile efforts will be made by Ministry of Justice planners to use renewable energy to power the facility and security lighting will be designed to impact minimally on the surrounding community.

Prison visitors will be kept away as much as possible from the 300-plus homes surrounding the former airbase and a transport structure will be put in place to encourage the use of buses, bicycles and car sharing.

More than 150 trees will have to be felled. The planning application deals with this issue in depth because ministry bosses explain that from a planning policy point of view, the only real weakness with the project is the loss of so many trees, all of which are under the auspices of a tree preservation order.

The jail plan is still expected to attract widespread controversy and objection when it comes to planning committees in both North Norfolk and Broadland next month, with many people still convinced the facility is being planned for the wrong location, many miles away from prospective inmates who are known to reoffend less if they receive regular family visits.

But if the plans get the nod in the light of a national prison places crisis, it is expected the jail will be open to the first prisoners in January and fully up and running by the following autumn.

Last night, Mid Norfolk MP Keith Simpson said it appeared the ministry had addressed more issues as part of the planning application thanks to the reaction in recent months of the local communities, politicians and media.

“I am pleasantly surprised by the amount of detail that has been produced,” said Mr Simpson.

“But I suspect that in pouring over the voluminous document, there will still be concerns and those concerns will be put to the two district councils.”

Mr Simpson said the prison would be built on only a small part of the former airbase, which was important to note when assessing the £7.2m benefit to the economy in comparison to the £21m loss as a result of the closure of RAF Coltishall and the drawdown of nearby RAF Neatishead.

But he added: “Whether the claim by the ministry stands up that this is compatible with other uses on the rest of the site is a very important question.”

North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb said the economic boost was welcome, but was coming from a project “being built in the wrong place”.

“This is not the result of a rational building programme, but a panic.”

Mr Lamb raised concerns about how the prison would sit next to other uses, such as a proposed 5,000 home eco-town which features in a government shortlist.

Simon Shaw, chairman of Scottow Parish Council, said none of the recently proposed uses of prison or immigration centre were “an ideal choice of neighbour”, but he felt there was now more local concern about the impact of the possible eco-town.

John Harding, chairman of Coltishall Parish Council, said his council would be “looking closely” at the plan and seeking consultation with local parishioners.

The application can be viewed online on Broadland District Council's website. It should also be available on North Norfolk District Council's website in a few days.

Courtesy of EDP