Bucks Council REJECTS plans for Mega Prison at Grendon Underwood
It follows hundreds of objections from people living nearby.
Last updated 24th Mar 2022
Buckinghamshire Council has rejected the Ministry of Justice’s planning application to build a Mega Prison at Grendon Underwood on top of a hill in a rural area in a meeting this afternoon.
The application to build a new Category C prison adjacent to the existing HMP Grendon and HMP Springhill would have used existing green field land and additional agricultural land to create what would have been one of the largest prison complexes in Europe - housing 1,468 inmates.
Over 470 objections had been received by residents and parish councils. They came from concerns about noise pollution, loss of privacy and landscape, increased traffic and security worries.
The Council’s planning officers report cited that that the MoJ’s proposal conflicted with local planning policies and that there was “a lack of clear and convincing justification for the development of the site”.
The report stated there were “significant concerns regarding the sustainability of the site, the landscape character, visual impacts, (with a development that is industrial in proportions appearing stark and at odds with the rural landscape), harm to designated and non-designated heritage assets and the loss of playing fields”.
Buckingham MP Greg Smith has been working with councillors and residents for the last year to fight the proposals and he spoke against the plan in the meeting today (24/3).
He said “The MoJ’s application was speculative and totally inappropriate, with no consideration of the rural area. The site is surrounded by small settlements and served by an inadequate network of rural and unclassified roads that are already under pressure from existing approvals and approved growth in Aylesbury and Bicester."
"It is my belief that Brownfield sites, should be considered as a priority for this type of building work rather than causing the loss of rural green spaces.
“This victory is an important one. But it is not the end of the road, the next step of the battle is to ensure the Ministry of Justice understands the strength of feeling locally and that their application has failed to meet key planning policy tests. I will be taking the case to the Secretary of State for Justice, demanding he does not appeal this decision and leaves Buckinghamshire alone.”