Lancashire super prison public inquiry reopening is delayed

The jail is planned on the border of Chorley and Leyland but there are fears local roads would not cope

The reopening of a public inquiry into plans to build a so-called super prison in Lancashire has been delayed.

The blueprint for a 1,715-capacity jail on the border of Chorley and Leyland has been opposed amid fears the local road network would not be able to cope.

Additional hearings had been due to take place after the government said it would grant planning permission if the concerns could be overcome.

The impasse began after the plans were thrown out by Chorley Council in 2021.

The Ministry of Justice appealed, sparking an inquiry which would rule on whether to uphold or overturn the local authority's decision.

The planning inspector who oversaw the earlier stages of the inquiry became unavailable for personal reasons in the weeks before it was due to recommence, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

The Planning Inspectorate said it believed it was "important that the case remains with the same inspector".

'Committed to fight'

The parties involved have now been invited to identify and agree a new five-day period during which the reopened inquiry can be heard. A restart date is yet to be set.

A campaign group fighting to block the plans for the prison, on land close to the existing HMP Garth and HMP Prison Wymott in Ulnes Walton, said it is ready to present fresh evidence about highway safety.

Ulnes Walton Acton Group spokeswoman Emma Curtis said the group was "fully committed and focused on continuing the fight against this inappropriate development in the greenbelt".

In January the inspector had agreed with Chorley Council, concluding the appeal should be dismissed over the damage it would cause to its proposed greenbelt location, as well as the negative impact on the local road network.

But the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will have the final say on the outcome, and previously announced it was inclined to grant permission for the prison if the highways issues could be "satisfactorily addressed".

If approved, the new Category C jail would combine with neighbouring Garth and Wymott facilities to create a prison population that would outstrip the number of residents living in the area.