HC Deb 13 May 1996 vol 277 cc315-7W
Mr. Sumberg

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what alternative sites to the Agecroft site in Salford were investigated by the Prison Service for the siting of a new prison; and what were the reasons the Agecroft site was preferred against each of such alternatives. [29077]

Sites in Manchester
Site LPA Vendor/Owner Comment
Eastlands Manchester City Council Manchester City Council Large amount of land, but reserved for project for millennium funding.
Ardwick Goods Yard Site Manchester City Council Manchester City Council Already allocated to local industrial users who are moving from Eastlands. 11 acres available (too small).
Middleton Rochdale MBC Mixed Land assembly delays/uncertainties; remote from public transport; surrounded by housing; and significant sections in Green Belt. Not for development before late 1997–98.
Godley Hill Tameside MBC Tameside MBC/ other owners Site is small, badly shaped and undulating, as such not suitable for a prison. Problems of access and land assembly.
Dewsnap Sidings Tameside MBC Tameside MBC 43 acres with good public transport in area. But possible highway access difficulties and adjoining high density housing estates. Vendor refused to negotiate sale. Developer selected—permission granted. Development to start May/June 1995.
Linnyshaw Salford MBC Manchester Ship Canal Company Green belt land. Wwaiting outcome of UDP objection.
— Bury MBC — Too small (12 acres) and access problems as prospective vendor specified off-site access.
Weaste Quarry Weaste & Seedley Salford MBC British Coal Within an industrial area. Site allocated under Salford Unitary Development Plan for industrial and warehousing use. Some development already under way. previous excavation and tipping make part of site unusable.
Royal Ordinance Survey Factory Eccles Salford MBC Royal Ordinance Within industrial/commercial area. Allcoated for business and high tech uses in Salford UDP. Too small and surrounded by housing.
Barton Eccles Salford MBC Mixed including Manchester CC Proposed for regional shopping centre (UDP). Planning application under judicial review. High amenity site for high tech industry and business. Partly owned by Manchester CC. Legal objections to this now dismissed.

Miss Widdecombe

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. David Sumberg, dated 13 May 1996:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reapply to your recent Question about sites which were considered as alternatives to the Agecroft site in Salford.

Information about alternative sites considered and rejected by the Prison Service is provided in the attached table.

The Agecroft site, in comparison with the other locations considered:

  • made strategic sense in terms of other Prison Service establishments and courts in Greater Manchester;
  • was suitable in terms of topography and ground conditions;
  • was in the urban area, but was in a wedge of land largely isolated from its surroundings by a river and a canal. It was also at a considerable distance from large housing developments;
  • was not allocated to any alternative use in the local planning control documents or policies;
  • was available for sale (the owners of several other sites indicated that they would not sell) and at a price which the Prison Service could afford.

Reason
Broadway Oldham Oldham — Allocated within Oldham Development Plan for industry and warehousing. Fragmented site— maximum single area available 12 acres (too small).
Queens Road Cheetham Hill Manchester City Council Manchester City Council Used as a tip—unsuitable for building.
Ashton Moss Tameside MBC Mixed inc. Tameside MBC Part within Green Belt. Planning permission for high quality industrial estate, site available late 1997–1998 when motorway completed.
Kingswater — North West Water Subject to tenancies necessitating removal of two golf clubs—timing a problem.
Wharfside Trafford MBC Multiple 20 acre site available—2 developers working up proposal for 80 bedroomed hotel and 70,000 sq ft of B1 use for first tranche. Some development has now taken place.
Northwest Direct Trafford MBC Gazeley Properties Contains a significant number of activities on site that handle hazardous substances. 30 acre site ASDA superstore being built on site. Plans for petrol filling station, Costco and cinema on remainder.
The Village Trafford MBC Trafford MBC Contains a significant number of activities that handle hazardous substances. Site broken into small units; total available 20 acres. Maximum site size 4 acres.
Hough End Playing Fields Manchester City Council Manchester City Council Used for recreation. Council unlikely to sell. Restrictive convenant for public open space.

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