Go-Ahead Recommended For Massive New Prison Near Market Harborough

Planning officers are recommending the go-ahead for a massive new prison near Market Harborough.

Harborough District Council officials are urging councillors to approve the proposal for land near the existing HMP Gartree, despite strong opposition from people living in villages near-by.

How the new prison would look

364 objections have been sent to the authority, mainly centred on concerns about increased traffic, with 600 people to be employed at the prison, as well as the impact on the countryside.

Campaigners will be among those speaking at next Tuesday’s Planning Committee, when the plan will be considered.

The Ministry of Justice say the new prison is part of a £3.8 billion scheme to deliver 20,000 additional prison places nationwide over the next three years.

A report by Harborough District Council planning officers concludes: “It is acknowledged that the proposal has caused considerable concern within the local community, and this is evidenced by the level of objection which has been received.

“Notwithstanding this, the need for and benefits of the proposed development are very substantial, any reduced scale scheme would not meet the need as effectively and Officers are satisfied that these regional and national benefits very significantly outweigh the harms caused.”

If approved, work on the the multi-million pound jail, which would house 1,700 prisoners, would begin later this year and open in late 2025/early 2026.