CAMPAIGNERS have forced councillors to ask for more details on a huge prison which could end up on their doorsteps.

A council meeting was due in a fortnight’s time to consider the controversial application to build a jail where the old Runwell Hospital once stood, in Runwell Road.

Now the meeting has been put back until July after the Ministry of Justice, which is submitting the plans, was asked by the Chelmsford Borough Council’s planning committee to provide further drawings of what the 1,500 inmate prison will look like.

Councillors took the decision after pressure from the No Prison in Runwell Action Group. Yasser Mehmood, spokesman for the Ministry of Justice, said: “Following the request we have provided them with further clarification on aspects of the proposed prison at Runwell.

“This included information about the visual impact of a new prison, and changes to the car parking and landscaping plans.

“Chelmsford Borough Council is consulting residents and other interested parties on the proposal and we are awaiting the outcome.”

Marina Wallis, democratic services officer at Chelmsford Borough Council, said a consultation with residents will start again once all the new information has been received.

Steve Fagioli, vice-chairman of Runwell Parish Council and member of the No Prison in Runwell action group, said: “We just don’t know what is going on, we are in limbo.

“We told the council we were concerned because they would have been granting outline planning permission for something they hadn’t seen.

“We raised these concerns with the council which has asked for more drawings.”

The planning meeting to decide on the prison is now expected to take place on Wednesday, July 7.