WICKFORD will house one of five new jails in England and Wales.

Councillors and politicians were shocked after justice minister Jack Straw made the announcement yesterday.

Meanwhile, Canvey residents expressed relief the island will not get one of the prisons which can hold up to 1,500 prisoners.

Mr Straw said the site of Runwell Hospital in Runwell Road, Wickford, was one of five picked to house the modern, purpose-built institutions for adult male prisoners.

But Malcolm Buckley, leader of Basildon Council and ward councillor for Wickford Castledon, was outraged.

He said: “That is extremely disappointing.

“There has been no previous suggestion the hospital would be used for that purpose.

“Given the Government record of trying to put prisons into this sort of location, I am concerned about the safety of local people.”

Mr Buckley said the Government had never told the council of its plans.

He said the site had always been mooted for a new housing estate and he also fears it will drive down the quality of potential developers coming to Wickford.

Billericay and district MP John Baron, who has been pressing the Government for months to reveal the proposed sites, added: “All this Government talk about openness and transparency in politics is hogwash.

“Actions speak louder than words and here the Government has bought the land before consulting local residents, that is not a consultation.”

Ray Ride, Chelmsford borough councillor for Runwell, added: “We are extremely concerned because this is the first time we have heard about it.

“There has been no consultation and the impact on residents will be quite significant.”

However Castle Point MP Bob Spink was very pleased.

He said: “We have enough issues to consider without the threat of prisons in our community. We should not be building on our flood plain and the extra traffic and risks involved with prisons make Canvey totally unsuitable for such a scheme.”

Yesterday the Echo revealed how the Government had been considering five sites in south Essex – Runwell, two in Thurrock and two in Canvey – for a £350million Titan prison.

But the plans for three giant prisons were shelved on Friday in favour of five smaller ones.

Mr Straw said of the new prisons: “They will be safe, secure and effective in helping prisoners deal with their offending and develop the work, education and life skills they need to turn their lives around.

“These new prisons will neither be Victorian replicas, nor large warehouses.”