Jack Straw's secret visit to Omega

JUSTICE Secretary Jack Straw has made a secret visit to the Omega development site at Warrington – one of a number of sites across the North West being considered for a giant US-style Titan prison.
The visit was made towards the end of November but news of it has only just emerged – triggering fears among local people that a deal may have been done.
Coun Kevin Reynolds, one of three borough councillors who organised a protest meeting attended by 600 nearby residents, earlier this year, said: “If he’s visited all the sites being considered it may not be particularly significant.
“But if he hasn’t it is certainly thought provoking.”
Coun Judith Wheeler said: “He could well be looking at all the sites. But it is obvious Omega is on their list.”
Leader of Warrington Borough Council Ian Marks said: “This is very worrying. My worry has always been that, no matter how much local opposition there is, if the Government is insistent, it has the power to make it happen.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said Mr Straw (pictured) had taken the opportunity to visit the Warrington site while travelling from the office of his Parliamentary Private Secretary, Weaver Vale MP Mike Hall, at Frodsham, to the Youth Justice Convention at Harrogate at the end of November.
“This is one of a number of sites in the North West being considered for prison clusters. No decisions have yet been taken about specific sites.
” Once they have, consultation will take place in the normal way, speaking to local members of parliament, local authorities and local communities about our proposals before any planning application is submitted.”
Omega is a 575-acre site straddling the M62 and covering part of the former Burtonwood Air Base. It is earmarked for 3.1 million sq feet of industrial and office space and a hotel and retail complex to be developed over the next 25-30 years providing 25,000 jobs. Work on the infrastructure has already started.
Owners English Partnerships says its focus remains on finding high quality commercial occupiers.
But a recent report in the construction industry magazine Contract Journal claimed the Ministry of Justice had recently been in touch with Scottish construction group Miller, who are partners in the project, about the possibility of buying part of the site for “some form of prison development.”
Warrington Borough Council has lodged strong objections, as have the town’s two MPs, Helen Jones and Helen Southworth.
Nearby residents have formed an action group, Warrington Residents Against Proposed Prison (WRAPP)
A spokesperson said: “It is worrying that this visit was kept under wraps at the time and there has been no mention of Jack Straw visiting any other sites.
“Thousands of people have bought houses around here in the belief that Omega was going to provide high quality jobs and prosperity for the area.
“A prison of any sort does not fit in with that – particularly as Warrington already has two other prisons.”