HMP Gartree: MoJ appeals over rejected prison plans

An appeal hearing is under way over plans to build a 1,700-capacity prison in rural Leicestershire, which were rejected by the local council.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the facility, close to the existing HMP Gartree, near Lubenham, was needed to cope with increasing inmate numbers.

Harborough District Council unanimously rejected the application in April.

A government planning inspector is now hearing the cases from the MoJ, the council and opponents of the scheme.

Once concluded, the inspector will submit a report advising on whether to support or overturn the original decision.

On Tuesday, protesters against the plans gathered ahead of the hearing outside the council offices, in Market Harborough, calling the appeal the "death of democracy".

They were assured the final decision would be made impartially by separate departments and key points from all sides would be considered before making a recommendation, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Outlining their argument, the opposition Gartree Action Campaign Group said about 2,130 people from nearby villages had signed a petition calling for the plan to be scrapped.

A spokesperson said as well as causing traffic issues: "The Leicestershire countryside is no place for an industrial scale infrastructure project of this size and affecting this level of impact.

"To place a prison of this magnitude among several quiet villages linked together by a rural road network is simply not good or sustainable planning.

"Any need for prison places does not grant the MoJ carte blanche to insert a new prison in this rural and relatively isolated location."

The district council backed the group saying the scheme had been "ill-thought out".

The authority agreed it was "not sustainable", "inaccessible" and would do "significant harm" to the countryside.

The MoJ said six new prisons needed to be built - including the one at Gartree - to keep up with demand, saying the system was operating at 97.5% capacity.

"Plainly, a significant and swift increase in prison places is required," a spokesperson said.

The MoJ said the objections raised were "familiar ones" and while it was aware there would be some harm to the countryside, it could be reduced by "substantial and carefully considered landscaping".

The spokesperson added concerns over traffic and the inaccessibility of the site were unsubstantiated.

"Permission should only be refused if there would be an unacceptable impact on highways safety or the residual cumulative impacts on the road network would be severe," he said.

"A careful assessment has demonstrated no such impacts exist. That assessment was accepted by the local highways authority."

The hearing is set to run until 17 October.

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