Building a bigger estate

The Capacity Expansion programme is one of the biggest building programmes being undertaken by government. In fact, it's one of the biggest building programmes in Europe, probably beaten only by the Crossrail and Olympic developments in Britain. And by the time the Olympics kick off in 2012, the Prison Service will have more than ten thousand extra places – 10,226 to be precise – against the total at the start of 2008.

A total of 3,012 new places have been delivered to date (as of 10 June 2008), and an extra 1,206 are on target to open before the end of 2008 – but these impressive figures are just the beginning.

The places delivered so far have been sourced by a combination of methods including: the first new public sector prison for some years at HMP Kennet; new-build house blocks; pre-fabricated rapid-build units; refurbishments and cell reclaims. But with 65 individual projects in the programme, the bulk of the new places are yet to come.

The Capacity Expansion programme hit the national headlines earlier this year when the Government announced it had accepted Lord Carter's proposal to build three ‘Titan' prisons in addition to the 65 existing projects As large-scale establishments capable of holding 2,500 prisoners each, much comment and speculation was made following the announcemet and a 12 week public consultation was launched on 5 June. But as Colin Allars, Director of the new Capacity Directorate, explains, the Titans will not be the dramatic departure for the Service that has been suggested in some quarters.

“They're not going to be warehouses, as some have claimed,” says Colin. “They will be high quality prisons – bigger than anything in the estate currently, but not hugely bigger than the largest of the existing establishments.”

Another innovation in the capacity programme has been the use of Rapid-Build Prisons (RBPs); 60-place pre-fabricated units assembled next to existing establishments, sometimes in multiples. Two such RBPs built at HMP Wayland and HMP Rochester are complete new prisons built within the existing establishments' secure perimeters, which have the bonus of bringing extra support facilities for the larger new combined establishments.

A new prison at former RAF base Coltishall, near Norwich, is in the planning stages. With the site now under MoJ ownership, a planning application already submitted and local consultation underway, the intention is that Coltishall should provide the first of 500 new category C adult male places by November this year.

There are also two new prisons to be delivered and operated by the private sector at Maghull, next to HMP Kennet, and Belmarsh West. Additionally, a major new prison next to the existing HMP Featherstone is planned.

When it comes to public consultation over new prisons, some negative attitudes have to be tackled. It can be hard to convince locals of the benefits of having a prison in their back yard, explains Charlotte Copeland, Head of Estates Planning & Development Unit. “People can be surprised when they hear about the economic impact of a new prison,” she says. “Job creation and a boost to the local economy are two of the positive effects.”

Paul Swinburn, Head of Custodial Property Unit, agrees. “Prisons are the equivalent of small towns and generate much local business, and we have persuasive evidence that, despite initial concerns from local residents affected by a new prison, the long-term effects are beneficial.” And with hundreds of new staff in the vetting stage as part of the current recruitment drive, their numbers are sure to help give a boost to local economies all over England and Wales.

Providing new prison places is not just about extra numbers, but ensuring that the right kind of places are available. Re-roling prisons is one way of doing this, and there are reclaimed places provided within existing establishments. Reclaim schemes involve taking back places which had been designated for other uses, such as offices, or mothballed.

All these methods of creating additional places are being delivered within a strict budget, but standards are being met across the board. “There's a rigid standard set for security and safety. All the relevant building rules and regulations are included in the new Prison Service accommodation – we will not build it unless it's safe and secure,” says Paul.

“We look at the builds in terms of what we call life cycle costings; taking into account the building, maintenance and operational costs over a number of years. We design them to be economic in their use of energy; for example, by recovering rain and reusing the water so the buildings operate at a lower cost. They all fit into that parameter of value for money against the budget.”

Environmental effects and sustainability are two key factors, Paul continues. “All the new house blocks have to conform to BREEAM (Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method) ‘Excellent' standards for accommodation in terms of sustainable development.

“The Government asked us to design buildings which meet the best standards, and that's what we're doing. The ways we construct the buildings are very efficient; use of materials is controlled to prevent waste, and we work to very tight schedules. The Prison Service and NOMS are viewed in Government as leading lights in sustainable development.”