Plans approved for new Wellingborough prison

A new contract has been awarded for the construction of Wellingborough prison in Northamptonshire.

Ministers confirmed that a price of £253 million ex VAT has been agreed with Kier for the design and construction of the new Wellingborough prison. The 1,680-place category C resettlement will be at the site of the former HMP Wellingborough which closed seven years ago.

The new prison is part of the Government’s Prison Estate Transformation Programme, which is reforming and modernising the prison estate to ensure conditions are suitable for rehabilitation of offenders while reducing crowding across the estate. Along with Wellingborough, the programme will deliver a new prison at the former HMP & YOI Glen Parva in Leicestershire and a new house block at HMP Stocken, in Rutland.

Mark Pengelly, executive director of Kier Major Projects, said: “We’re very proud to have been appointed to deliver the new resettlement prison at Wellingborough and look forward to working closely with MOJ and using our experience in new-build prison programmes to deliver first-class rehabilitation facilities.”

“We are dedicated to investing in the communities in which we work and our commitment to apprenticeships and job opportunities will not only help address the skills shortage that our industry faces but also provide a lasting legacy for the people of Wellingborough.”

Prisons Minister Rory Stuart reinforced plans to create 10,000 new prison places to replace ineffective current buildings. Work on the prison is set to begin later this month and be completed in 2021 by Kier.

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