Fury at plan to put jail on Miller business park

A proposal to build a giant Titan prison on a Miller Developments site in Warrington has caused fury among councillors.

The £1bn Omega business park is being considered as a possible site for one of the government's three proposed £400m Titan jails, it emerged this week.

But councillors said they had “real concerns” about the proposal for the prison, which would hold up to 2,500 inmates.

Council leader Ian Marks and his deputy, Keith Bland, said: “The original plan for Omega was for the creation of 25,000 jobs in the commercial, manufacturing and business sectors. In no way did we ever contemplate a prison on this complex.

“This is certainly not part of the vision. If asked whether we want another prison in the Warrington area, our answer is an emphatic 'No'.”

Miller Developments refused to comment on the story. A spokesman said: “We are in discussions with a number of regional, national and international organisations and are currently focusing on securing an occupier and making a start on infrastructure works on site for Omega North.”

The government plans to build three of the supersized structures as part of a bid to ease overcrowding in the prison system.