Omega IS on the prison list

JUSTICE Secretary Jack Straw has confirmed that the Omega site at Warrington is one of a number in the North West being considered by the Government for a “prison cluster”.
But he says his department has yet to confirm its interest in any specific site and, once any site is identified, will follow the normal planning route and make an application for planning consent to the appropriate planning authority.
Before any application is made, officials will hold pre-application consultations with planning officers, local councillors and other interested parties on the detail of the proposal.
This would include a public exhibition to explain the proposals and give local people an opportunity to comment.
Mr Straw (pictured) has written to Coun Ian Marks, leader of Warrington Borough Council, following the authorities decision to oppose any plan for a US-style Titan prison in the Warrington area.
The Justice Secretary says the Government is pursuing an extensive building programme to expand the prison estate, which includes up to three prison clusters. It makes sense, he says, to locate them where the demand for prison places is greatest. This is why the North West, the West Midlands and the London area are being targeted.
Mr Straw says: “We believe that a strong case for the economic benefit for the local area can be made for the building of a new prison, wherever the site, and our experience of similar projects has demonstrated the benefits a prison can bring to a local and regional community. Building a new large prison has the potential to benefit its local economy by around £15 million a year and create 1,000 jobs directly.
“Research shows that house prices are unlikely to be adversely affected, and contrary to myth, evidence shows nothing to suggest that building a new prison in an area would increase local crime rates or place the safety of residents at risk. Wherever new prisons are built, careful consideration will be given to local transport infrastructure to ensure it does not create a strain on the network.
“We do not intend the new prisons to be warehouses. They are intended to be made up of small units, designed to reduce the sense of their scale. They will allow us to modernise the prison estate and make an important contribution to the communities they serve by turning offenders away from crime.”
Coun Marks said, “This letter summarises the Government’s position on its plan for a new prison somewhere in the North West. It is important that residents should be aware of current thinking. The council remains strongly opposed to the siting of a Titan prison on Omega and we do not want one in Warrington. A prison does not form part of our vision for the development of this site.”
Mr Straw made a secret visit to the Omega site late in November – as was exclusively reported by warrington-worldwide in December.
But Justice Department officials say the visit was made purely because Mr Straw happened to be in the area at the time.