Proposals to expand troubled parc prison to house hundreds more inmates

THE PLANS TO EXPAND THE WELSH PRISON COMES AS THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE WARNS PRISONS IN WALES AND ENGLAND ARE 'DAYS FROM COLLAPSE' 11:26, 20 May 2025Updated 16:24, 20 May 2025

Troubled Parc Prison could be expanded to house hundreds more inmates and employ over 100 more staff. The news comes just months after a damning report into the Bridgend prison found a

failure to tackle an "alarming" flow of drugs which led to "a spate of tragic deaths". Under the proposals, which are in the pre-planning phase, HMP Parc could expand to

house another 345 inmates, with an increase of 160 staff. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ), which owns the prison, granted HMP Parc pre-application approval in September 2024. In a statement,

the MoJ said prisons in Wales and England are "days from collapse". It said prison places will "run out" by November if urgent action is not taken. The company behind the

development, Galliford Try Construction Limited, says it hopes to submit a full planning application for the proposed works in July. Members of the public have been asked to give their

opinions on the proposals to expand HMP Parc and create provision for a further 345 inmates. Article continues below The expansion proposals created by Galliford Try seek to demolish and

reposition, building a K-shaped house block to accommodate more prisoners, create a new gym/multifaith building as well as an industries/education building. The plans also include a new

access road to the north of the site, and a new car park to the east. Last year there were 17 inmate deaths at Parc — more than any other UK prison — of which five were drug-related, three

self-inflicted, eight of natural causes, and one of unknown causes. The category B prison, which opened in 1997, currently accommodates 1,670 prisoners and is run by private security giants

G4S. _For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation,__ sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here_ The families of men who have died at the prison have protested

against G4S' running of Parc. It has been plagued with controversy over the last few years following concerns over deaths, drug use, violence and staffing. As the proposals are still in

the pre-planning phase, no formal planning application has been submitted to Bridgend County Borough Council. A spokesperson said that any application they receive will be subject to their

consultation process and "considered on its individual merits". Earlier this month, the justice secretary announced a £4.7 billion prison building programme to create new prison

spaces. An MoJ spokesperson said: "This government inherited a justice system in crisis, with prisons days from collapse. "Despite taking emergency action, our criminal justice

system continues to teeter on the brink of complete breakdown. Article continues below "Without urgent action, we will run out of prison places by November. That’s why we have announced

a record £4.7 billion prison building programme. This, alongside David Gauke's sentencing review, will ensure we never run out of prison places again." _Get daily breaking news

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