HMP Full Sutton: Councillors give green light to new 1,440 capacity prison

East Riding Council’s Planning Committee passed plans for the category C security prison, off Moor Lane next to the existing HMP Full Sutton, on November 11.

Full Sutton and Skirpenbeck Parish councillor Fiona Roberts who spoke in objection said offers from the Ministry of Justice to improve screening around the site still fell well short.

She added the application should be deferred to study the Ministry’s offer which she claimed came just hours before the meeting.

Nick Hardy, speaking on behalf of the Ministry, said more evergreen trees and a higher soil bund were now included and an acoustic fence on top of it was also on offer.

The plans will first be deferred for talks on details, including some with a local liaison group, before being formally approved.

The plans councillors approved mean evergreens will make up 60 per cent of the 1,770 trees and shrubs planted to screen the site, rather than 20 per cent proposed previously.

A soil bund on the southern and western boundaries will be 3m at its lowest point, rather than the 2m initially proposed, but will still be 3.5m at its highest.

A 2m high acoustic fence will also be built on top of the bund despite Mr Hardy saying assessments showed it and the bund itself were not needed for screening.

The prison complex itself features six cell blocks, an entrance hub, three games pitches and a care and separation unit. It will also feature play areas for visitors’ families and parking for 257 staff and 121 visitors.

Outline or initial plans for the prison were first approved in 2019, with today’s meeting dealing with reserve matters including appearance, design and landscaping.

Building is set to begin in July 2022 and is expected to finish by 2025.

It comes as part of a £1.3bn Ministry of Justice project to modernise England’s prisons estate, with new buildings designed to help with rehabilitation and cut reoffending. It also aims to create 10,000 extra prison places.

The new prison approved by councillors will be the first of four to be built should the others be approved. The Ministry has said the new Full Sutton prison would serve as a template for others.

Plans for a workshop within the prison compound, included in a separate application, were also approved. Councillors heard it was designed to provide inmates with fulfilling activities to help with their rehabilitation.

A total of 110 objections were lodged against plans for the prison complex on environmental, traffic and drainage grounds as well as over noise and light pollution.

Councillors heard a man living close to the site also feared for the mental health and wellbeing of his family should plans go ahead in their current form.

Dr Roberts said while locals were grateful for the Ministry of Justice’s improvements she felt they could go much further, including making the soil bund 10m high.

The objector said: “The Norwegian Spruces proposed for screening are shaped like a Christmas tree so wouldn’t be able screen a tall building. Residents have made a heartfelt plea on these plans, they’re going to have to live with these plans for decades to come.

“The decision shouldn’t be made based on information received in the last few hours.”

Coun Leo Hammond, ward member for Wolds Weighton which covers the site, said the committee needed to use its powers to get as much screening as possible.

The ward member said: “We accept this is going to happen but what we need to do is to reduce the impact on residents as much as possible.

“If the Ministry of Justice have to rejig the layout of the prison for landscaping and screening then so be it, it’s up to them to bring plans forward which are acceptable to the local community.”

Mr Hardy said the newest changes to the plans came after Ministry officials had taken on board residents’ concerns.

He said: “We have increased the height of bund and while we know residents wanted it to be 10m this isn’t possible. There’s more changes to help residents to the west, including more evergreen trees and the species will be agreed with council officers.

“The Ministry’s offers have been made in the context of assessments showing screening would have been effective without a bund at all.”