Temporary prison cells remain to help national shortage

SIXTY-SIX temporary prisoner cells built at a prison during the Covid-19 pandemic, will be made permanent in an effort to "ease" the crisis facing the service.

- By CHRIS CAULFIELD Local democracy reporter

Nationally, the prison population has doubled in the past 30 years while only 500 new cells have been built in the past 14 years.

It has left the service scrambling around for a series of short-term ways to increase capacity until four new prisons come online by 2031, creating 14,000 extra spaces.

The latest stop-gap has been the approval of 66 cells at HMP Coldingley, in Bisley, by Surrey Heath Borough Council on Thursday, June 6.

The cells were approved unanimously during a brief two-minute item with no questions or debate from members.

Case officers addressing the meeting, said: "No objections have been raised by any statutory consultees, while there is a national need for prisoner accommodation. The application is therefore recommended for approval."