Campaigners have blasted a government decision to seek further evidence about the controversial proposal – in spite of a planning inspector recommending that it should be refused outright.
Campaigners battling against plans to build a new prison on the border of Chorley and Leyland have blasted a government decision to seek further evidence about the controversial proposal – in spite of a planning inspector recommending that it should be refused outright.
That sparked a public inquiry, chaired by an independent inspector who would ordinarily have had the power either to uphold or overturn the council’s refusal of permission for a prison which, if built, would result in the tally of inmates across the three jails in the village outstripping the local population.
Acting on behalf of Mr. Gove, the junior minister said that the MoJ and other interested parties would be given the opportunity to provide “further evidence on highways issues” before a final decision was reached. But he added that his intention was to grant permission “subject to being satisfied that these matters can be satisfactorily addressed”.
“So why now are they getting [another] chance at providing additional evidence outside of that inquiry in an attempt to get the application allowed? The Whitehall department – which is aiming to deliver four new prisons across England by the mid-2020s. – had concluded that the Ulnes Walton site was the only one suitable for a new jail out of more than a dozen North West locations that it had assessed for the purpose. The facility would act as a resettlement unit for male offenders, preparing them for their eventual release.
UWAG contended at the original town hall planning committee meeting that parts of Moss Lane – from which the new facility would be accessed – would see a ten-fold increase in daily vehicle movements as a result of the new jail. South Ribble MP Katherine Fletcher – in whose constituency the facility would sit – has previously come out against the plans in their current form, citing concerns over the “poor local transport infrastructure and an inappropriate access point to the site”.
The Levelling Up department [DLUHC] was also approached for comment. It is understood that the government will make a final decision by April 19. Local government minister Lee Rowley MP, acting behalf of Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, agreed with that assessment and that it should attract “significant” weight in the final decision.The northern and southern parts of the site are considered to have a “rural character”, according to the inspector, while the central section is more “institutional” as a result of large car parks and ancillary buildings for the existing prisons and a playing field for HMP Wymott.
However, he acknowledged that Ulnes Walton Lane is “a narrow 40mph country lane with several bends” – including one at its junction with Moss Lane, where motorists turning right from the former road have limited forward visibility. Mr. Gilbert-Wooldridge found that it had “not been demonstrated that the works would resolve capacity issues” – and, if the new junction proved unable to do so, he concluded that the proposal would have “an unacceptable impact on highway safety”. In his response, the local government minister agreed that the proposed road improvements were “lacking in detail” – and that the inspector could only reach the conclusion that he had on the basis of the evidence put before him.
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