Leicestershire prison plans turned down by council

The Ministry of Justice said the prison was needed to deal with a rise in inmates

Plans for a 1,700 space prison in rural Leicestershire have been turned down 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.

But protesters, who attended the meeting of Harborough District Council, said it would bring too much traffic to narrow roads.

After the unanimous decision, the MoJ said it would consider its next steps.

The MoJ has said with more police being recruited and courts working to clear a pandemic backlog, an expected rise in the prison population had to be planned for.

Opposition focussed on the amount of traffic the prison would generate

But opposition, organised by the Gartree Action Committee campaign group, focussed on traffic disruption from construction teams, staff, deliveries and visitors.

Planning officers had recommended the plans for approval, saying traffic levels would be acceptable and the prison would boost the local economy.

The decision to refuse, based on the proposals contradicting the local plan, was met with cheers from protesters who attended the council meeting.

But Penny March, who lives near the site, said the battle was not over.

"Last night everyone was very pleased and happy.

"However I am urging caution because the MoJ have gone back and they are going to consider their reaction and their response.

"So we can't be too complacent because it might just be they want to have another go.

"Until the thing is written off, finished, end of, we can't afford to stand back and say 'Okay we won'," she said.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Our aim is to support the local area and economy by creating hundreds of new jobs and keeping streets safe.

"We note the decision and will consider our next steps."