Featherstone super prison will be bigger than planned

Part of a new super prison in South Staffordshire will be built a storey higher than originally planned after being given the go-ahead by councillors.

The decision comes just months after the Ministry of Justice was ordered to pull down a separate section of the new £150 million prison in Featherstone as it was higher than planning permission allowed.

Contractors Kier installed a 41ft steel framework at the jail's planned visitor centre, despite only having consent for a structure measuring 33ft.

The firm was reported to council bosses by eagle-eyed residents.

Prison bosses had hoped a retrospective planning application would allow them to keep the bigger building, which would have included a "constraint and restraint" site for riot training.

But it was refused by South Staffordshire Council in October after a campaign by more than 100 residents and Tory MP Gavin Williamson.

The new plans, which will see the dog handling building at 410 sq ft rather than 279 sq ft and two storeys instead of one, were given the go ahead by South Staffordshire Council's regulatory committee last night.

This building will instead be used for riot training.

Featherstone councillor Bob Cope said today it was a victory for common sense.

"The original application was to incorporate the control and restraint training centre in the visitor centre," he said. "A lot of people in the area are former prison officers and said it would be very noisy.

"Residents were also unhappy that it was being built a storey higher than agreed, which seemed arrogant.

"Last night's application was to increase the size and height of the dog handling centre for this control and restraint centre, which is the other side of the prison and away from homes."

Mr Williamson held showdown talks with Crispin Blunt, Minister for Prisons and Probation, about the way contractors were handling construction of the 46-acre, 1,620-inmate jail.

Plans for the prison, which is being built next to the existing Featherstone Prison and Brinsford Young Offenders Institution, were approved in January 2009 despite more than 400 objections.

It is due to open in April 2012.