Firm pledges to spend £50m with small and medium enterprises

Masterplan for Wrexham prison

Lend Lease has beaten rivals Interserve, Kier and Carillion to win the £151m contract to build a “super prison” in Wrexham, north Wales.

The Ministry of Justice said the contract “ensured” the total cost of the project would be £212m, £38m less than the original estimated cost of £250m.

Under the terms of the contract from the Ministry of Justice £50m of the project budget will be spent with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and £30m of that will be spent with local businesses. Half of the workforce on the job will also be recruited from the local area.

The 2,100 place prison will be the first super prison to be built as part of the Ministry of Justice’s wider upgrade and improvement plan. A second super-prison is planned for Feltham in London.

The prison is due to be complete and fully operational by late 2017.

Prisons minister Jeremy Wright said the project would be a “massive boost to the Welsh economy”.

He added: “This contract will ensure that millions of pounds are spent with SMEs, with significant levels of work for local businesses and young people – a key part of this government’s long-term plan to build a stronger economy.”