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1,200 jobs in prison bid
Wednesday 24th September 2008, 11:42AM BST.
More than 1,200 jobs will be created if a new prison is allowed to be built in the West Midlands, it was announced today.
The jail, which is planned for a plot of derelict land next to the existing Featherstone Prison and Brinsford Young Offenders’ Institution, would have around 800 full-time and 400 part-time staff.
Some villagers in Featherstone, near Wolverhampton, have opposed the plans, saying it would be an eyesore and create traffic problems.
But the Government today said it would generate around £12million for the local economy each year and is essential to cope with the country’s increasing prisoner numbers. Building work would create a further 150 temporary construction jobs and efforts would be made to offer the work to local people.
The Ministry of Justice is in talks with three potential contractors regarding building work and it is hoped it would be operational by 2012.
Councillor Frank Beardsmore, chairman of Featherstone Parish Council, said: “It is great it is bringing 1,200 jobs but the concern we have is the traffic it will put on the A460.
“Unless the workers move into the village, we won’t see the benefits of them.”
During three public exhibitions in July, attended by 200 people, several villagers raised worries about hundreds of cars emerging from the site when shifts changed as it would coincide with rush-hour traffic.
Villagers also called for the prison to be sited elsewhere, claiming the two sites already in the village was enough.
The plans, lodged with South Staffordshire Council, include a new access to Paradise Lane and improvements to the A460/New Road junction.
South Staffordshire Council is expected to decide whether to grant planning permission at the end of this year.
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If this Prison gets the go ahead,& I do not think it should, it will mean that about 3,000 prisoners will be located in the village of Featherstone.Where else in this country is there this density of prisoners. The capacity of both Brinsford&Featherstone was recently increased by nearly 200 cells.Both of these esablishments now lock up well in excess of a 1,000 prisoners each night.That is enough for any village to cope with,& all the attendant problems it brings.There will be no gain for the local economy as the majority of staff prefer to live well away from the prison they work at.In fact the opposite will happen with house prices being further depressed over a 5to7 mile radius because of the problems associated with living close to Prisons.We shold also remember that a final decision has yet to be made on two planning applications to increase the number of houses in the village by about 1.300. Sheer lunacy, somebody some where is trying to kill this village.Who ever they are must not be allowed to suceed& I call on all local residents to make their voices heard in objecting not only to the new Prison. but the proposed housin plans as well. they are not needed or wanted in this village.
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good in every way!!!!!!
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How is this £12 million a year going to be generated by the prison? Is the prison tour and associated gift shop *that* lucrative?
Why does it have to be near anywhere? Find an inhospitable rock off the coast of Scotland and site the thing there. Sod the families of the convicts. Why should HMP Softouch be handy for the buses?
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Great Idea, the more the merrier !!
3 – 12m in staff wages, there’ll also be extra income for the staff via the prison black market.
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Bring it on and get some of the scumbags off our streets
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Roger
Where do you get this information from that Featherstone and Brinsford both lock up well over 1,000 people each night.
I think no know that your completely wrong and would ask to only use facts in an argument not made up information which is untrue
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Adam,
I think Roger was referring to the total for both sites, not each one individually.
He forgot how to count when his ranking didn’t require it.
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Adam, I recently retired from one of the establishments mentioned. beleive me my comments are factual.You can check for yourself by going on each prisons web site @ find out the cna which stands for certified normal accomadation, don’t forget many cells are doubled up, i/e two prisoners in a cell built for one.
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Did as you suggested Roger collectively they may lock up over 1000 but individually they don’t Brinsford does not have that big a CNA, if I double Brinsfords CNA that doesn’t even come to 1000
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Adam, I dont want to labour the point,but Brinsford & Featherstne do lock up over a1,000 prisoners each night,between them, not each prison but collectively as I stated in my originl note.Also the web site re C,N.A. has not been updated & does not take into account recent expansion of cell space.
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