Concerns raised in consultation over plans to expand prison

Lewis Smith Local Democracy Reporter

Residents living close to a “troubled” Welsh prison in the village of Coity, Bridgend, have raised concerns over plans to expand the facility in order to house hundreds more inmates and staff.

The proposals were submitted to Bridgend County Borough Council on behalf of the UK’s Ministry of Justice this year, to accommodate an extra 345 residents and 160 members of staff at HMP Parc.

It followed a report into the Bridgend prison earlier this year which found failure to tackle an “alarming” flow of drugs in to the facility, which led to “a spate of tragic deaths”.

HMP Parc is a category B prison. It was opened in 1997 and is operated by private security firm G4S on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. It currently holds 1,670 inmates and has 676 members of staff.

Development

Plans for the site could eventually see the development of a new “K-shaped houseblock” along with the repositioning of parts of the boundary wall and the construction of a new road alongside the boundary of the northern car park.

It will also see the development of a replacement kitchen and dining block with a new gym, multi-faith building, education building, and additional car parking and infrastructure.

However, locals who live near the site say they fear the plans could leave them facing a number of issues if they go ahead, with extra traffic generated by staff and visitors, as well as greater noise levels affecting the homes that surround the prison.

Others who spoke as part of a pre-application consultation said they had worries that the expansion could intensify existing problems with drones being flown into the prison from neighbouring streets and people looking for ways into the grounds.

One resident who lives near the boundary of the prison responded to the consultation by saying: “We regularly have people looking for ways into the prison grounds from our street.

“Flying drones, loitering in the wooded area, leaving backpacks and gaining entry to the prison grounds to fish in the area of water in the south of the prison estate.

“I have rung the prison to report these people fishing, but they can not be controlled. Through the summer this happens every evening. It is worrying that the grounds of the prison cannot be controlled in the current circumstances. Expansion will only escalate all of the existing issues that are not being well managed.”

Opposition

Another wrote: “We absolutely oppose this development as we are the closest houses to the development. We already have enough problems with traffic of drugs and drones being flown into the prison from our street. We also have enough noise disturbance now from prisoners.”

A third added: “I would not support the expansion to the east side next to my property. This would affect the peace and security of our property. It would
increase noise and vehicle pollution with the increase of traffic in the parking and delivery area.

“I feel it would affect the value of my property significantly being so close. The north road and village could not take the extra traffic volume. It would have an adverse effect to the wildlife and livestock on the common area.”

Coity Higher Community Council also expressed concerns around increases to traffic along Heol Spencer as a result of additional staff and visitors.

Cllr Martin Williams said: “I am extremely concerned about the proposed extension to Parc Prison, making it what I am told will be the second largest prison in Europe. Junction 36 is already beyond capacity and this extension will only create further stress.

“We are increasingly encouraged to use alternative transport options to our cars, and particularly told this through the planning process, yet there is no bus serving the prison and no safe walking routes to the nearest, albeit, distant bus stops.

“The prison has a large workforce with no access to public transport. Coity village is already a dangerous rat run with no footpath along Heol Spencer, and this extension will make things much worse. Unless significant and meaningful measures are implemented I cannot support the application.”

Dog patrols

In response to concerns raised in the consultation, the applicant said additional external dog patrols had been put in place to deter inappropriate activity on the prison grounds, along with increases in staff and an ongoing window replacement programme that would “make it impossible” for drone drops to be made to individual cells.

When it came to noise, they said the concerns were not evidenced and did not reflect the findings of a Baseline Noise Survey and Noise Impact Assessment that were carried out.

They added that 25% of visitors were expected to use Heol Spencer with assessments carried out on the T-junction between Heol Hopcyn John and Heol Spencer indicating that queue delay would be “considered minimal” and would not be expected to noticeably impact the performance of the junction.

The plans to extend the prison will now be considered by the local planning authority at Bridgend County Borough Council in the coming months before a final decision is made.