Chorley residents have a week to challenge plans for a new prison amid safety concerns
Chorley: Campaigners in Ulnes Walton are in a race against time. They’ve been fighting plans for a third prison in their village for years. Now, they have just a week to decide if they want to take legal action against the government’s decision to move forward with the project.
The new prison is set to house 1,715 inmates and will be built next to the existing Wymott and Garth prisons. This decision came despite an independent planning inspector suggesting that the project should be blocked due to safety concerns about the construction traffic.
The Ulnes Walton Action Group (UWAG) is weighing its options. They’re considering a judicial review of the government’s green light for the prison. If they go ahead, they believe they can avoid hefty costs if they lose, but they still need to raise around £10,000 to cover potential legal fees.
They have until January 15 to make their move. That’s when they need to ask for permission to appeal the decision. After that, it could take weeks to find out if their appeal will be heard.
UWAG has been told they have a 50/50 chance of winning the judicial review. They’ve faced similar odds throughout the planning process, which has seen the proposal rejected multiple times by local authorities.
A spokesperson for UWAG mentioned they’re exploring their options but are aware of the tight deadline. They believe there’s a solid case to be made, especially since the planning inspector has thoroughly reviewed the evidence.
The inspector, Tom Gilbert-Wooldridge, conducted a detailed inquiry into the prison proposal. He initially recommended that the appeal be dismissed, but the government still decided to push forward with the plans, citing that any road safety issues were of “limited harm.”
With the prison population potentially exceeding that of the village itself, the community is understandably anxious about the impact this development could have.
