Feilden Clegg’s homes plan for Fred West prison

Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios has been asked to turn two former prisons into new housing.

The schemes at Gloucester and Portsmouth will be developed by City & Country and are expected to see dozens of new homes built at the sites.

Exact details of how many homes will go up are being worked out under a consultation process currently being carried out but the developer has promised a mix of housing.

HMP Gloucester, which once held serial killer Fred West on remand, was sold to the developer last Christmas Eve with the city centre site home to a number of Grade II and II* listed buildings.

It was one of seven shut by the government two years ago – to save over £60 million in running costs – which included the prison at Portsmouth, called HMP Kingston. Grade II listed, this prison first opened in 1877 and mainly housed prisoners serving life sentences.

City & Country managing director Helen Moore said its work with FCB Studios on the grade II listed former Bristol General Hospital helped with its decision to appoint the firm. “[They have an] excellent reputation for working with listed buildings and for work designing innovative solutions on city centre re-development schemes.”

Planning applications for the two sites are due in by the end of the year with construction work due to begin towards the end of next year.