Public consultation opens into proposed new prison

The Ministry of Justice has revealed more details about a new prison in Buckinghamshire which will hold nearly 1,500 inmates.

Outline planning permission was granted last year for the facility to the north of the existing HMPs Grendon and Spring Hill.

Details such as the appearance and landscaping of the proposed prison are now subject to consultation as part of the next step in the planning process.

The Category C resettlement prison would be for inmates typically serving the last two years of their sentences in order to prepare them for release.

The MoJ said prisoners would have home addresses within 90 minutes of the jail.

The jail will comprise six new house blocks, each in the shape of an "X", with room for nearly 250 prisoners in each.

Details of the security measures to be put in place at the prison are also included in the plans.

As part of the consultation, there will be a public drop-in session at Grendon Underwood Village Hall on 25 June.

The reserved matters application – which covers aspects of a planning submission that are not determined at the outline application stage – is expected to be submitted next month.

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.