PRISON MEETING

Hornchurch and Rainham MP James Brokenshire has highlighted local concerns about the prospect of a new prison on the edge of Rainham during a meeting with Ministry of Justice officials this week.  The MP requested the meeting after the announcement of Government plans to build a new prison at Beam Park in Dagenham.  The site is part of land previously forming part of the Ford Dagenham plant and is right on the Havering Borough boundary on the Dagenham side of the River Beam.

During the meeting officials confirmed was that the prison was intended to be a 1,500 offender category B jail – the second highest category – which includes those convicted of serious crimes including murder.  Other details that were revealed during the session included:

 The Ministry of Justice will be organising public exhibitions providing further details of their proposals in advance of plans being submitted to the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation.
 The jail would be likely to be constructed on 4 storeys
 The timeline for procuring and building the prison would be about 4 years from the submission of the planning application – expected early next year.
 The prison could create as many as 800 new jobs (not including those involved in the construction work).
 Consideration was being given to the impact on public transport and the need for improved transport links in the local area.

Commenting James Brokenshire said:

“It was helpful to obtain further details on the Government’s plans, but significant concerns remain about the impact of these proposals on areas such as the Mardyke.  People are worried about the potential for increased crime arising from visits and I was told that these issues would be addressed directly in the presentations.  Practical issues such as the visual impact of such a large construction with a high perimeter wall have also been raised.  There is a long way to go with these plans and it’s essential that local people are kept closely informed and have their say as matter progress.”

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