New accommodation blocks are set to provide more than 100 extra places for female inmates at a Staffordshire prison.

The Ministry of Justice has been granted permission to build four new houseblocks at HMYOI Drake Hall, near Eccleshall.

Stafford Borough Council's planning committee approved the application at a special meeting on Wednesday (April 12) after visiting the site. There were no objections submitted against the plans but the decision was referred to the committee because the proposals were considered a large scale major development.

Three new "closed" houseblocks will provide 78 places and an "open" houseblock will provide a further 25. The proposals also include solar panels, car park extensions, construction of a new offender management unit and relocation of the farms and gardens compound.

Charlotte Tucker, who spoke in support of the application at Wednesday's meeting, said: "There is a substantial need for new prison places. The Ministry of Justice is embarking on an ambitious project that aims to deliver another 20,000 additional prison places by 2027.

Four new houseblocks will be built to accommodate over 100 inmates (Google).

"Drake Hall is one of several prisons in the women's sector where new places will be delivered. This development will provide 103 new prison places and improve rehabilitation for prisoners."

A design and access statement submitted as part of the application said: "The proposed development is of national significance providing, for the first time, bespoke gender specific and trauma informed accommodation for women in custody. Ensuring custodial accommodation provides a decent, secure, gender-specific and productive environment will support rehabilitation and positive outcomes upon reintroduction to the community."

Committee members voted unanimously to approve the application. But Councillor Brendan McKeown questioned a condition involving a £10,000 contribution towards a travel plan as the nearest bus stop to the prison is 2.5km away.

Councillor Ann Edgeller said: "I think it is so sad we have got to increase the number of places for people coming into prison. I wonder if the design of the building facing onto the road could be taken into consideration so it doesn't look like a prison building.

"If you have ladies in there going out to work outside the prison we could make it a little bit more homely than a prison block. I feel it would help them while they are incarcerated in prison."

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