The Ministry of Justice has signed a contract for £156.9m with Lend Lease to build a new prison in North Wales…
A contract to commence building a new prison located in North Wales has been officially signed between the Ministry of Justice and Lend Lease.
Preparatory work including levelling the site, erecting the secure perimeter fence, and digging the foundations for the first house block has already been undertaken.
Prisons Minister Andrew Selous said: “I’m delighted that the contract has now been signed to signal the start of full construction works in Wrexham.
“This prison will be a huge benefit to the estate and North Wales with the project set to boost the regional economy by around £23 million a year and create up to 1,000 jobs once operational.
“Lend Lease have also committed to spend at least £30 million with local businesses during construction, and with £1.2 million already spent they are currently ahead of their target.”
The project is expected to cost in the region of £212m, which is less than the original estimate of £250m. This figure includes the design and construction cost of £156.9m.
The prison will house 2,100 Category C male offenders from North Wales and North West England. It will include a small remand function to serve the courts in North Wales. The prison will comprise of facilities for education, as well as 12 workshop spaces and resettlement functions to help offenders reintegrate back into society after release.
Wales Office Minister Alun Cairns said: “It’s great news for Wrexham and Wales that the prison contract has been signed and construction can now get underway.
“The prison will give a massive boost to the North Wales economy by creating hundreds of jobs and countless opportunities for local businesses in Wrexham and the surrounding areas.
“This is a tangible example of the UK government’s commitment to ensuring that Wales has world class infrastructure and is part of our long term plan to rebalance the economy. Strong public services need a strong economy.”
The prison, which will be operated by HM Prison Service, has already begun recruitment for the project director.
