§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) where maintenance of the streets, street-lighting, drainage and sewerage systems on the Parkhurst, Albany and Camp Hill prison estates remain the responsibility of the Prison Service of his Department,(a) what programmes of planned maintenance are in place, (b) how financial responsibility for maintenance is divided between his Department and householders and (c) which of his or the Prison Service's managers holds day-to-day responsibility for the delivery of essential maintenance; [91271]
(2) if he will list the residential streets on the Parkhurst, Albany and Camp Hill prison estates, showing for each (a) how many housing units have been sold and how many remain in the ownership of the Prison Service or his Department and (b) whether, where houses have been sold, (i) ownership and (ii) maintenance of the streets, street-lighting, drainage and sewerage systems remain the responsibility of the Prison Service or his Department. [91270]
§ Hilary BennThe Prison Service owns six houses within its former quarters estates adjacent to the prisons at Parkhurst, Camphill and Albany. There is a complex pattern of ownership of boundaries within these estates with the Prison Service also retaining ownership some roads and areas of open space, some with outline planning1042W permission for further residential redevelopment. Responsibility for maintaining all highways, open space areas and services lies with current land owners, except where adopted by utility providers. Where land and premises have been sold by the Prison Service maintenance responsibilities are specified within the sale conveyances. There is no legal obligation on the Prison Service to maintain privately owned highways and services and there is no planned maintenance programme in place. Maintenance of Prison Service owned land and services is organised by the prisons' works departments.
The Prison Service retains the right under the terms of sale conveyances granted to directly recharge the cost of highway and services maintenance it does complete to all private owners, on these estates, benefiting from the works. The Prison Service contributes to such expenditure according to the benefit it derives, if any, from such works. Due to Prison Service funding priorities and strong opposition from many residents to the possibility of recharges being made, only limited maintenance works have been completed in recent years.
The Prison Service has been working closely with the Isle of Wight council and the residents associations to try to reach agreement on proposals for upgrading the highways and services on these estates, to a standard where they can be formally adopted and maintained by the Isle of Wight council and utility providers.
§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of his planning applications for the sites of the(a) Parkhurst, (b) Albany and (c) Camp Hill prison estates, stating for each what obstacles remain to the granting of planning permission. [91272]
§ Hilary BennThe Prison Service has obtained outline planning consents for residential development of six sites which have or may become surplus to operational requirements. Ecological surveys are being completed in respect of two other sites before further consideration of outstanding planning applications.