Rainham Jail Revisited

A jail in Rainham is still on the agenda according to the Ministry of Justice.  In a letter to Hornchurch & Rainham MP James Brokenshire, the Prisons Minister David Hanson MP has this week confirmed that a shortlist of possible locations for a new London prison have been drawn up.  Mr Hanson said that the Beam Reach Industrial Park in Marsh Way, Rainham had been included on the shortlist.  The Minister said that he would confirm to the MP when a final decision had been made on the Government’s preferred site.

In April 2007 thousands of people marched through the streets of Rainham in protest at the news that Beam Reach could be the home for a new prison.  Beam Reach had previously been reserved for hi-tech manufacturing employment as an integral part of Government backed policies to up-skill and regenerate the local economy.  At that time the London Development Agency which owns the land said it was opposed to any prison at Beam Reach because it was at odds with redevelopment policies for what is described as a ‘zone of change’ within the Thames Gateway growth zone.

Commenting James Brokenshire said:

“A prison at Beam Reach would fly in the face of all of the promises to transform the local area.  It would simply re-affirm the view amongst local people that Rainham is seen as an acceptable dumping ground for London’s problems.  Yes we need more prison spaces, but to choose this site would undermine policies approved by the Government itself to use this land as a catalyst to transform the prospects for Rainham and the surrounding area.  It looks as if we will need to dust off the placards again as this is an issue that has certainly not gone away.”

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