I think the new 'super prison' in Chorley is a waste of lovely scenery - it’s obvious we have no say
Angry residents have condemned Housing Minister Angela Rayner for pushing through controversial plans to build a ‘super prison’ on the border of Chorley and Leyland.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced on Wednesday that the government will spend £4.7 billion to construct three new prisons as part of a ‘record prison expansion’ initiative.
One of the planned prisons will be built on green belt land north of the HMP Wymott and HMP Garth sites in Chorley - an area already plagued by drone activity and fireworks, according to residents.
Ms Rayner has overruled a previous refusal from the planning inspectorate, clearing the way for the construction of a new 1,700-capacity unit close to the existing prisons.
Residents are now concerned that the small village of Wymott, adjacent to the prison, will be overwhelmed by construction traffic.
Locals campaigning against the new jail have been refused leave to appeal against the controversial plans.
However, they have vowed to pursue the one route left open to them in their near four-year battle to block the 1,715-inmate facility.
Myra McHugh, 82, a member of the Wymott Bowling Club – which will be demolished to make way for the prison’s entrance – said: “The main thing that really aggrieves me is that it's gone to appeal several times, and we’ve been backed by specialists who say the roads aren’t fit for all the traffic.
“After the last appeal, when experts said ‘no’, Angela Rayner simply said, ‘oh it’ll be alright.’
“She’s never even been here, yet she thinks it’s fine when all the experts say it’s not. That’s my main grievance."
Rachel, an avid horse rider, and other locals are also upset about the loss of green space, with trees and fields set to be cleared for the project.
Margaret Coy, 73, who rides her horse Hayden on the land, said: “I think it’s a waste of lovely scenery.
“They can’t even manage the prisons they’ve got. Why build more? It’s obvious this is being pushed through and we have no say."
The Ulnes Walton Action Group (UWAG) had sought to launch a judicial review after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner chose, last December, to ignore the recommendation of an independent planning inspector by giving the green light to the category C prison.
It came after that inspector, Tom Gilbert-Wooldridge, said for a second time that the proposed jail should be refused permission – chiefly over safety concerns about the impact construction vehicles would have on the local road network during the five years it would take to build.
After considering UWAG’s appeal attempt, a High Court judge has now concluded Ms Rayner – acting in her capacity as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government – made a lawful and reasonable decision.
However, the group now has one final chance to see the jail jettisoned by applying to ‘renew’ its application for judicial review – and UWAG’s Emma Curtis told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that they are going to seize it.
Emma said: “We always said, right from the start, that we would take this as far as we could go – we promised the local residents that and so that’s what we continue to do.
“But this is the last avenue – if we’re unsuccessful, then this will be the end of the road.”
The renewal process will see barristers for both UWAG and the government present their case at an oral hearing before a judge, in contrast to the written submissions – from both sides – upon which the previous leave-to-appeal decision was based.
Emma says she remains “hopeful” the jail – which would act as a resettlement facility for men nearing the end of their sentences – will not get off the ground in the government’s chosen location.
But if it does, there will be around 1,000 more prisoners living in Ulnes Walton – over 3,700 in total – than there are villagers.
Dave Williams, 64, a local resident of 20 years, expressed frustration over the planning process.
He said: “They’ve not considered locals at all. The roads can’t even handle it – we’ve been told by the planning inspectorate it will be dangerous, but Rayner says it’s just a minor inconvenience.”
“They talk about a prison where inmates can rehabilitate, but there’s no transport links around here – no trains, and just one hourly bus to Chorley and Preston.”
Last year, HMP Garth was described as ‘like an airport’ by the prison inspectorate due to the volume of drugs being smuggled in by drone.
Residents say they’re already seeing the impact on property values as some attempt to sell and move away.
One local mum, who asked not to be named, said: “It’s very rural, and now we don’t even know what we’re going to have.
“I’ve heard it’ll be three or four storeys high. My partner was working nights recently, and fireworks were going off after nine.
“It’s like they’re setting them off in our garden to distract from the drones dropping drugs.”
Another local horse rider, in her late 50s, suggested more extreme measures to curb crime, saying: “I think they should bring back the electric chair.
“Why should we keep criminals alive on life sentences? It’s a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Parish Councillor John Dalton, 61, who has lived in the area for 19 years, emphasised the concern over the prison’s entrance.
He said: “We’re used to the prisons here, but the entrance to the new one will be a major issue.
“The roads are narrow and already congested – that’s the real problem.”