Over 600 jobs are set to be created as construction starts on the
UK’s first all-electric prison at Full Sutton in East Yorkshire.
The new prison – opening in 2025 – will hold nearly 1,500
prisoners who will spend their time behind bars learning the
skills they need to find work on release, as part of the
government’s drive to cut re-offending and keep the public safe.
The site will be the first prison in the UK to run solely on
electricity, with solar panels and heat pump technology meaning
it will use 78% less energy than HMP Wormwood Scrubs – a
traditional Victorian prison – cutting energy costs to taxpayers
by over £1.1 million a year.
The government will launch a competition later this year to
select an operator to run the new prison. Companies bidding will
be challenged to produce a ‘jobs blueprint’ setting out how they
would work with local businesses to train-up prisoners with the
skills most sought by local employers. The plan forms part of the
government’s drive to cut re-offending and make our streets safer
by helping ex-offenders find work and put crime behind them.
Minister for Prisons and Probation, , said:
The new prison at Full Sutton will protect the public and the
public purse, using the latest technology to cut energy costs.
Giving prisoners the skills in demand by local businesses will
help them find work and turn over a new leaf – cutting
reoffending and making our streets safer.
The new jail will be supporting former prisoners into meaningful
work before it even opens its doors – with at least 50
ex-offenders to be employed by construction firm Kier.
The building project is also set to boost jobs in East Yorkshire,
with a quarter of those working on the build and 40% of the
construction spend falling within 50 miles – filling order books
for local supply chain businesses.
Ministers today launched the public consultation to choose the
name of the new facility – inviting people in and around Full
Sutton to offer suggestions which reflect the culture and history
of the area.
Councillor Jonathan Owen, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire
Council, said:
I welcome the start of the construction of the new prison which,
when completed, will provide a great boost to the local economy
and employment market with the creation of over 600 jobs as well
as providing a focus on skills and training to get prisoners into
jobs on their release.
The new site will set a gold-standard for energy efficiency – set
to use 68% less energy from the national grid than even the
newly-built HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, and draw 18 GWh
less energy from the electricity and gas networks every year than
HMP Belmarsh – which is equivalent to powering 1,200 homes for a
year.
The start of construction at Full Sutton follows hot on the heels
of HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, Britain’s first ‘smart’
prison which opened in March. Work
is also nearing completion at HMP Fosse Way, the new 1,700-place
prison set to open at Glen Parva in Leicestershire next year.
Liam Cummins, Group managing director of Kier Construction, said:
Breaking ground at Full Sutton yesterday was a major milestone
for this new prison. It builds on our successful partnership with
the MoJ, where we have been operating successfully in close
collaboration for the past decade.
We will deliver this new prison as a cutting-edge facility, built
on engineering excellence that we have utilised on other
projects, and using innovative sustainable methods which will
achieve net zero in operation.
Alongside this, we’ll create hundreds of jobs throughout the
lifecycle of the project, supporting local people and the supply
chain, as well as providing opportunities for prisoners on
release.
Jason Millett, CEO for Consult at Mace, said:
Mace has worked closely with the MoJ to deliver the New Prisons
Programme, completing at HMP Five Wells earlier this year and
bringing practical delivery experience to the entirety of the
programme.
The new prison at Full Sutton will be a world-leading example of
how a focus on net zero development can create positive,
sustainable change. This milestone is a fantastic achievement for
our teams and demonstrates our strength in delivering against the
decarbonisation agenda.
