1,500-prisoner jail plan needs stopping — MEP

NO grounds for prison . . . from left, Sajjad Karim, Councillor Eileen Hulme, Councillor John Hudson, Councillor Philip Rogers and Councillor Jack Hulme at the Ferney Field site

A TORY MEP is leading the fight against a 1,500-inmate prison being built in Chadderton as politicians from all parties were united in their criticism.

North-West MEP Sajjad Karim took time out of his busy schedule to go straight to the potential site for a new jail after arriving from Brussels.

He said the land between Foxdenton Lane and Ferney Field, near to Radclyffe School and parkland, was not suitable as it is surrounded by housing and two schools and would harm the landscape.

Mr Karim said: “I don’t see how a high security type of facility can be built in a location like this.

“I don’t want to alarm people, but to create proper access for a significant amount of large vehicle movements you would have to remove some of the housing to meet planning criteria.”

Outrage was sparked when Justice Secretary Jack Straw shelved a £1.2bn Titan prison programme that would have created three, 2,500-place, jails and proposed to build five smaller prisons instead.

Only two locations have been chosen, with three yet to be decided.

Mr Karim praised the Chronicle for breaking the story and Conservative councillors for taking the issue to residents.

He said: “We’re concerned about a project of this size and scale going through by stealth. There’s a need for public consultation.

“We have seen in the past projects of this scale can get so far down the line before local people are even aware of them and it’s too late.

“We have to get the message across that it’s not simply a case that the Government can do what it wants.

“Residents have the right to have their voices heard.”

He will be writing to Oldham Council’s chief executive asking for the council to review its position after the authority wrongly said there was no such scheme.

He added: “I don’t think there’s much to be gained by sending a letter to Jack Straw as had he been interested in true community input he would have asked for it by now.”

Tory councillors have distributed leaflets to 1,500 residents around the site and held a surgery to hear their views and say there is huge concern.

Leader, Councillor Jack Hulme, said: “We are saying very determinedly that we have total objection to this site.

“What we intend to do is fight it most vigorously to have it moved off the list as a potential site.”

The Lib-Dems are also opposed.

Councillor Mark Alcock, Oldham Council’s Cabinet member for the environment and infrastructure, said: “I’m totally against it. I will be doing everything I can to make sure it doesn’t happen. It’s completely inappropriate for Chadderton.”

There was confusion when Oldham West and Royton MP Michael Meacher was given the impression that the site had been discounted.

But he has renewed his opposition after the Ministry of Justice refused to rule out any specific site from the 76 proposed — apart from one in Warrington. The Labour MP has spent days demanding further clarification from Mr Straw’s office and says no decision will be taken for about a year.

He said the issue will not go away and promised ministers would repeatedly be told of his and local opposition to any such move.

He added: “I am pressing to make the point to the Ministry of Justice that instead of leaving the idea floating about there is no need for a long list of sites when they only need three. Cut the list down to 12, or at the most 15, and leave the rest of us alone.

“My view remains that I am adamantly against any such prison being built at the site.”