Braintree District Council has issued a statement on the Ministry of Justice Wethersfield prison proposals.
Councillor Graham Butland, Leader of Braintree District Council, said: “Over a year has gone by since the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announced their proposed plans to build two prisons on the Wethersfield airfield site. The Council and local communities are still waiting on a decision whether the MoJ are going to submit a planning application for the proposals or not.
“We share resident’s frustration on wanting answers about the MoJ’s intentions on the prison proposals. It is not fair for our local communities to continue to face the current uncertainty. I will therefore be sending an official letter to the Secretary of State for Justice to ask for an update as soon as possible, so we can understand their future plans and impress upon the Secretary of State the need to share those plans with the local community at the earliest opportunity.
“We know how much interest there has been amongst residents and communities around these proposals, and we absolutely value resident’s opinions and views. Council officers, alongside expert environmental and other consultants, have had lengthy discussions with the MoJ over the past year through a Planning Performance Agreement, advising them on planning matters as they consider whether to submit a planning application or not. Throughout this time, officers have raised several issues related to the proposals that were put before us and the community, including the suitability of location, accessibility, road and environmental impacts, and have been clear through this engagement that the MoJ would need to address the issues highlighted by the council and the local community if a planning application is submitted in the future.
“Braintree District Council, as the local planning authority, must remain impartial and transparent given its future role in any potential planning application coming forward. To act otherwise could be considered as pre-determination, which could form the basis of a legal challenge against the council to any final decisions made. We will however be watching several planning appeals for proposed prisons elsewhere in the country with interest in the New Year.
“The Council will continue to fulfil its planning related role and play an active role in discussions about a potential application, but we recognise that it has now got to the point, over a year since the MoJ’s public consultation, where we need answers and clarity to stop the uncertainty continuing to hang over our communities. We also know that the prison proposals cover only part of the current airbase site and there is wider interest in the future use of the whole site. We are pleased therefore to be supporting local parish councils to consider the future of the whole airbase through neighbourhood plans.
“We have previously committed to keeping residents updated on what we can regarding the prison proposals, and we will continue to do so, including pressing the MoJ to keep communicating with residents on their proposals.”