JOBS which would be created if a new prison was built in Wrexham could be safeguarded for local people.
The claim was made by Mike Mullis, business manager of the North Wales Criminal Justice Board, at a meeting of Wrexham Council’s environment and regeneration scrutiny committee yesterday.
He also revealed that, were a jail to be built in the county, there would be special provision for Welsh speakers who “suffer greatly” in English facilities because of their first language.
Councillors backed a recommendation to support a new prison for North Wales and at their next meeting the council’s executive board will decide whether to specifically back the proposal of a jail for Wrexham.
Mr Mullis said: “What we have been told is that there’s a power in the planning permission which says we can put in the application and the condition (to provide jobs for local people) could be expected in there.”
Justice Minister Maria Eagle revealed in October the search had begun for a number of 1,500-capacity jails across the UK with the North Wales region on the list of specific sites.
Land occupied by the former Firestone factory on Wrexham Industrial Estate was one of four locations across Wales shortlisted for a jail last year.
It lost out to Caernarfon, which was also eventually rejected as a potential site before the new search was announced by Miss Eagle.
But Cllr Michael Morris claimed other sites in the county ought to be considered for the prison.
“There is a small community living near the Firestone site who feel their area is a dumping ground for everything that is unpalatable,” he said.
“If we are looking at key strategic sites why not an area of land on the A55/A483 corridor?”
In response, Mr Mullis said specific sites would be examined after February next year – if the local authority had confirmed its interest in accommodating a prison on land in the county.
Any jail built in North Wales would have special provision for Welsh speakers, Mr Mullis added.
“We are very aware of how Welsh speaking people suffer greatly.
“Any prison would be structured in such a way that there will be a series of cell blocks, a number of which would be purely for Welsh prisoners, and they will cater for Welsh people alone.”
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