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More than 1,000 people against Wickford prison plan

2:10pm Monday 15th June 2009 in


MORE than 1,000 angry residents have now signed up to a petition opposing Government plans to build a prison in Wickford.

A team of determined residents, from the Essex Against Prisons campaign group, collected signatures outside the former Woolworth’s store, High Street, Wickford.

A total of 732 shoppers signed up on Saturday. They don’t want a 1,500 inmate prison on the site of Runwell Hospital, in Runwell Road, Wickford.

This comes on top of 284 people who signed an online anti-prison petition, on the 10 Downing Street website.

Mum-of-one Bernie Bentley, 44, of Highcliffe Road, Wickford, who set up Essex Against Prisons, said: “People obviously feel really strongly about this, I would say we had at least 200 people sign our petition in the first hour.

“This is just the beginning, as we’re all taking the petitions home and will be getting more people to sign-up.

“There are so many things we need in Wickford which could be built on that site – a new care home for the elderly, a doctor’s surgery, more homes for first time buyers, or a school.

“The last thing we need is a prison.”

The proposed prison site had previously been earmarked for 624 homes, a primary school and a doctor’s surgery.

She added: “There’s also the worry about house prices. If you were looking to buy a house, would you really want to move next door to 1,500 convicted criminals.”

Basildon Council has vowed to work with neighbouring Chelmsford Council – whose ground the prison falls into and who will have to consider the planning application – to oppose the plans.

Councillors are worried developers will back away from investing in Wickford if the prison goes ahead.

The £125million Wickford masterplan, including plans for a new swimming pool, fitness centre, community centre, healthcare complex, library and 650 new homes, is already in doubt because of the recession.

Tony Ball, Basildon Council leader, said: “We are absolutely against the prison and strongly feel the building of a prison would have a bad affect on the regenaration of the town.

“The people clearly don’t want it either.”

You can sign up to the online petition at www.number10.gov.uk or look up Essex Against Prisons on the Facebook website.

Comments(15)

VANGE LES says...
2:22pm Mon 15 Jun 09

Everyone who signed this petition is a nimby.

I bet they all really want more prisons, just not near them.

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Shotgate Voice says...
3:37pm Mon 15 Jun 09

Just build the prison in Vange, it will fit in there

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buckleberry says...
3:47pm Mon 15 Jun 09

Think I'd rather a prison than more new homes. Wickford is sprawling out of control and the so called master plan seems intent on making it even bigger which is not what most residents want. Probably be safer with a prison than lots of lovely new homes waiting to be broken into.

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Rantman says...
3:47pm Mon 15 Jun 09

Another muppet that thinks being a 'nimby' is bad thing. The people living in any particular area know whats best for it and if those people dont fight to stop developers, council and government doing what ever they please to their area, then who will?

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Nettie says...
4:11pm Mon 15 Jun 09

Have to agree with Buckleberry on this. Having recently moved to Hockley, I never gave the prison a second thought, but I sure as hell checked all the planning permissions / applications in the area.

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springthing says...
4:39pm Mon 15 Jun 09

Exactly!

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evilc says...
5:06pm Mon 15 Jun 09

The next planning application for the site is for a municipal housing estate for those on benefits.

That should be fun.

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Tiger Rider says...
5:36pm Mon 15 Jun 09

Runwell hospital also had a secure unit for the criminally insane. Dangerous mental health patients would serve their sentences there. So having a prison on the site is nothing new.

We desperately need more prisons, 2 dangerous thugs have just got community sentences for hitting a man over the head with an iron bar. Do you want a prison in your community or dangerous monsters roaming the streets looking for their next victim?

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ridgeback1 says...
8:00pm Mon 15 Jun 09

even on a saturday i cant believe there were nearly 1000 people shopping in wickford, theres hardly any shops left open! this ghost town is a shambles, maybe a prison could boost the local economy? i dont know, but something is needed.....

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staffyowner says...
8:52pm Mon 15 Jun 09

I lived near a prison in the Midlands for many years. It didn't affect house prices and brought work to the area. Didn't Runwell have a stigma attached to it?!

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VANGE LES says...
2:12pm Tue 16 Jun 09

Rantman wrote:
Another muppet that thinks being a 'nimby' is bad thing. The people living in any particular area know whats best for it and if those people dont fight to stop developers, council and government doing what ever they please to their area, then who will?
If eveyone thought like that, there wouldn't be any prisons anywhere.

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julesprey says...
4:53pm Tue 16 Jun 09

I can think of one very good place for a prison - one that would feel like a sentence and not an education programme "an unused oil rig!!" Think twice then..eh?

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julesprey says...
4:57pm Tue 16 Jun 09

I would personally like to know where our councillors were on Saturday in Wickford High Street? My daughter who was nine months pregnant was there standing for 2 hours with a petition and an eighty-six year old war veteran...its disgraceful..!

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MrsH says...
7:23pm Tue 16 Jun 09

Chelmsford has a prison and isn't doing too badly.
Runwell hospital has been there for years with a secure unit and no one batted an eyelid. The word 'Prison' and everyone is up in arms. Aren't prisoners locked behind bars?
If only people got so riled up about Wickford being turned into a high rise jungle, with no amenities for the people that live here already.
The prison will probably look better than the eyesore in Lower Southend Road.
Why can Basilon Council work with Chelmsford Council on this, but not when discussing the 600+ homes that were due to be built on the Runwell site??

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Real World Occupant says...
9:42am Wed 17 Jun 09

julesprey wrote:
I can think of one very good place for a prison - one that would feel like a sentence and not an education programme "an unused oil rig!!" Think twice then..eh?
Couldn't agree more. Some kind of alcatraz would be great. Or a hard labour camp would be ideal, instead of going to prison and bulking up in the gym and learning more crime, they should be forced to give something back to the community they have terrorised.

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