PRISON PLANS RELEASED

"A victory for the residents of Rainham" - that's the reaction of Hornchurch and Rainham MP James Brokenshire to the news that the Beam Reach Business Park is not to be the site of a new 1,500 offender prison in East London and Essex.

In a statement to the House of Commons, the Lord Chancellor Jack Straw MP revealed that instead the Government would be pressing ahead with two new prisons at Beam Park West in Dagenham and Runwell near Wickford in Essex.  The Prisons Minister David Hanson MP telephoned James Brokenshire just before the announcement to confirm that Rainham was no longer on the Government's agenda.

Just over two years ago it was first revealed that the Beam Reach Business Park off Marsh Way was being actively considered as the preferred location for a new East London jail.  In April 2007 James Brokenshire joined local councillors, campaigners and thousands of residents who marched through the streets of Rainham in opposition to the plans which threatened to undermine Beam Reach as a catalyst for investment and new employment in South Havering.  As recently as February of this year, the Ministry of Justice confirmed in a letter to James Brokenshire that Beam Reach was on the short list for a new prison. 

Commenting James Brokenshire said:

"This is a landmark day for the future of Rainham.  Everyone who backed the campaign to stop Rainham Jail can take credit for this decision. 

"Plans for a jail at Beam Reach have hovered over the future regeneration of Rainham like a big black cloud.  It has hampered development and raised serious questions over the future of this key site.  We've now got to get on with the urgent task of harnessing the potential for Beam Reach to create new jobs, to attract investment and help transform the outlook for the local economy.

"We've also got to understand the implications of the proposed prison at Beam Park West.  It's just over the local authority boundary in Dagenham and will have an impact on this area.  The Government will need to address the understandable concerns of residents about having a new prison on our doorstep."

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