§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will publish the text of the Press statement made by his Department on 5th January, 1961, regarding the proposal for a new prison at Hill Hall, Essex.
§ Mr. BrookeThe statement was as follows:
The Government has rejected a proposal by the Prison Commissioners to use Thornwood War Department Camp, near Harlow, Essex, as a semi-secure prison for women. They have decided that the prison should be built on a site at Hill Hall, Essex.
3WA public inquiry into the proposal to use Thornwood Camp was held on 5th July, 1960. In his report to the Minister of Housing and Local Government, the inspector who held the inquiry said that the need for a prison of this type had to be accepted and that Thornwood Camp was a most suitable site in relation to the area intended to be served. It was logical though not essential when choosing a site to prefer Crown property or a site where suitable buildings already existed.
Points in favour of using Thornwood Camp were, in general, economic or operational rather than planning issues. Residents' fears as to security he thought unjustified having regard to the precautions to be taken and experience elsewhere. It was difficult to assess the possible effects on property values but he thought any fall would be confined to properties in Carpenters Arms Lane.
The inspector considered that the main objection related to violation of the green belt. To establish a prison would involve building many new buildings contrary to green belt policy. The site was particularly vulnerable because of its exposed position when viewed from the south and south-west. Because of its size in relation to the village and close proximity to houses, the camp tended to upset the balance of development. Residential atmosphere would suffer.
In the past the planning authority had taken measures to prevent and even remove unacceptable green belt development. If they now had to accept the prison, future planning proposals would become more and more difficult to substantiate on appeal.
The inspector recommended that on balance the planning objections against the proposal should override the economic and operational advantages, though he recognised that the question would have to be considered in the light or national need.
The Home Secretary and the Minister of Housing and Local Government decided to accept the inspector's recommendation. At the inquiry the planning authority had intimated that they would not offer any objection to the establishment of the prison on a site at Hill Hall, for although this alternative site is also within the green belt, development there would in their view be less obtrusive. The Ministers agreed with this view and decided that the prison should be built at Hill Hall.
§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will give urgent consideration to the requests of the Theydon Mount Parish Council, the Epping and Ongar Rural District Council and the Essex County Council for a local public inquiry to be held into the proposal to build a new prison at Hill Hall, Theydon Mount; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrookeI have discussed this matter with my Eight hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Home Affairs who agrees that in the particular circumstances of this case it will be better to4W arrange for the objections into the proposal to build a new prison at Hill Hall, Theydon Mount, Essex, to be heard at a public local inquiry rather than at the public meeting which had been proposed. I will make arrangements accordingly.
§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether it was with his authority that a statement was made by his Department to the Essex Press in March, 1961, to the effect that a new prison was to be built at Hill Hall, Theydon Mount, and that any objections should have been made at the local public inquiry into an earlier proposal to build the new prison at Thornwood.
§ Mr. BrookeAs far as I can discover, the only statement made to the Press by my Department on this matter was that dated 5th January, 1961, and referred to by my hon. Friend in another Question.