These letters can be sent to Parish Councils, Braintree District Councillors, Essex County Councillors, James Cleverley, and Dominic Raab to oppose The mega Prisons.

Download here: Letter Template 1

Dear …..

I am writing to express my deep concern about the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) proposed mega prison complex development on the former Airbase at Wethersfield. Following the so-called initial consultation last September, at which almost no information was available, I understand that a Planning Application is expected to be made sometime later this year.

I appreciate that if and when a Planning Application is made that there will be a period of consultation, but that period is very limited in relation to the size and complexity that this proposal will surely represent. I therefore want to share with you my views at this time before any Planning Application is received by Braintree District Council.

In a nutshell, the whole idea of this proposal is misconceived: it goes against national and planning laws, it cannot be considered to be a sustainable development as defined by the National Planning Policy Framework, and it even contravenes the MoJ’s own policies!

Whilst the following may not be exhaustive, I believe it is sufficient for a review of this proposal BEFORE a Planning Application is received as tax- payers’ money is being spent on the preparation of a Planning Application when it is clear that the choice of site has nothing to recommend it other than the fact that the Government already owns the land. This point is, I believe, more than negated by the myriad of factors against it. Namely:

1.     Transport Infrastructure.

Wethersfield is a long way from the M11, A14 and A120. From these roads, the journey to Wethersfield has to be on rural roads which are twisty, narrow (in places single lane) and which go through ancient villages with historic and listed buildings.

Construction traffic will have to use these roads, and taking the example of the prison being built at Glen Parva, between January 2021 (when deliveries commenced) and the end of June 2021, 8916 HGVs made deliveries to the site. The proposed development at Wethersfield will be twice the size of Glen Parva.

Operational traffic will involve some 3,000 additional vehicles per day, again based on data from Five Wells.

The MoJ has published policies regarding the well-being of prisoners and reducing reoffending rates. A major contributory factor to both of these is the regular contact with family. Braintree is the nearest railway station to Wethersfield and that is a single line from Witham. Bus services in this rural part of Essex are at best, infrequent.

2.     Design and fit of design with existing area

This area is characterised by small, ancient settlements - villages and hamlets – and scattered farms. There are 117 listed buildings in Wethersfield, 109 in Finchingfield, 41 in Toppesfield, the three Parishes in which the airfield sits. In addition, there are hundreds if not thousands more in surrounding parishes, many on the very roads that that will see the additional traffic.

The design of the proposed buildings illustrated in the initial consultation are the same as those recently completed near Wellingborough. The design, which I think is based on an American “Titan” prison, is brutal. Some 17m high, precast concrete, the buildings will form a complex 1 mile long with a 3-mile perimeter, and of course, it will be floodlit.

The airfield sits on a plateau and the proposed development will be visible for many miles around – especially at night. The white water tower (approximately the same height) is just outside the base and it can be seen from Stambourne and Sampford – both many miles from the base – as well as many other surrounding viewpoints.

3.     Ecology

I have read that the Airfield supports 74 species of birds, some of which are on the endangered and protected species lists. Although once the centre of a huge level of activity, it is now quiet with areas which are undisturbed. In addition to birds, I am sure that there are bats, newts, badgers, deer and other native wildlife and indeed, the MoJ EIA Scoping letter mentions Great Crested Newts and Skylarks.

The Environment Act (EA7) requires all developments to deliver a Biodiversity net gain of at least 10%, and I do not envisage this happening. Furthermore, the 25 Year Environment Plan (26YEP9) Requires the making sure populations of key species are sustainable. I do not believe the disturbance of the red and amber listed birds on the Airbase, nor the proposed relocation of Great Crested Newts and Skylarks (detailed in the EIA Scoping letter) will meet this policy.

4.     Air Quality

The increase in air pollution will be huge during constriction – partly from the construction traffic, and also from the demolition/ground disturbance. As a rural community we enjoy relatively clean air and this will be degraded by the MoJ proposals. This is of particular concern as vehicles change gear at the very point where the road narrows and where the village primary school is sited. The Environment Act (EA5) required Local Authorities to tackle air quality and I do not see how increasing pollution will be helpful to anyone.

5.     Light Pollution

The proposed development has buildings 17m high and the complex will be 1 mile long with a 3-mile perimeter. It will be flood lit 24/7 for security reasons. We currently have little light pollution and most surrounding villages do not have street lights. This development will be visible for miles around – helped by the fact that the proposed site is a high plateau.

6.     Noise

This is a quite rural area. We can hear birdsong and horses walking along the lanes. The noise and vibration of the construction traffic, the demolition and the operational traffic will simply be unacceptable.

7.     Water

Water from the airfield drains into the Pant Valley and on to Hanningford and Abberton reservoirs. providing drinking water to many Essex residents. Any risk to the water quality must be avoided and there is a specific risk as soil is disturbed as no one is sure what has been spilt or buried during military occupation. Incidentally, radioactive materials have been found at several former RAF bases.

North Essex is a very dry part of the country and it is recognised now that there is a water shortage in this part of the country. Adding almost 3500 prisoners plus staff plus visitors to the local consumers of water does not seem to be sensible.

8.     Heritage and Archaeology

The Airbase is recognised as one of the most important military heritage assets both in terms of its WW2 heritage and its Cold War heritage. Many of the buildings on the airbase deserve protection and care, not demolition.

Further, there are the remains of Hawke’s Hall, a Saxon Manor house with links to the Knights Hospitalier and possibly the remains of a Roman Road on the site.

This cultural heritage needs to be preserved.

9.     Remoteness for visiting prisoners

The MoJ policy for new prisons includes ensuring it is accessible for families to visit prisoners as research shows that this helps reduce reoffending. Reoffending costs the tax payer some £1.8 billion per year. The proposed site at Wethersfield is not easy to access by road (see above), and very difficult to access using public transport. The nearest railways station is at Braintree and this is a single spur from Witham. Bus services are infrequent. This proposed site does not support the MoJ’s own policy.

I think the above demonstrates that this proposed siting of a mega prison complex on the former airbase at Wethersfield does not make sense at all.

Please stop this proposal now, before more money is wasted preparing a planning application that is surely doomed to failure.

Yours sincerely,

Download here: Template Letter 2

Dear ….

I am writing to register my concern regarding the proposed development of the mega prison complex on the former airbase at Wethersfield.

To be blunt, I have thought and thought about this, and I can see no valid reason for such a proposal other than the fact that the Government currently owns the land.

I suspect that the consultants working for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), some of whom I met at the so-called consultation meeting, had never visited this area of north Essex and had (or indeed have) no idea of our roads, rural life, dark skies, wildlife, history, heritage, and low pollution levels.

Our roads are narrow and winding, developed of course as cart path originally, connecting mediaeval settlements. Whilst these roads now sport tarmac surfaces, they are still narrow and twisting, with some very narrow points such as the single lane bridges at Great Bardfield and Finchingfield, and the narrowing in Wethersfield near the primary school.

Our roads are beloved of cyclists (the Tour de France came though Wethersfield and Finchingfield), equestrians, motorcyclists and walkers. The current traffic levels are probably already too high for the well being of all, but I know Essex County Council are working to increase the levels of cycling and walking in the county.

This is, and always has been a rural area. We are a long way from major roads such as the M11, A120, A14 and so on. It is quiet and peaceful, and we live here because we like it that way. Yes, we pay a price in that we are a long way from shops, hospitals and what many call civilisation, but we knew that when we chose to live here. Many of our villages do not have street lighting, and we value the dark skies lit by stars.

We are not alone in valuing this part of Essex. There is abundant and thriving wildlife from badgers to deer (three kinds!), and I know that many rare species live or stop en route in this area. Although most of the local farming is not organic, there are good margins around most fields, and there, together with the verges lining the lanes, wildflowers and insects abound. Many people do not realise that this area, one of the highest in Essex, is a water catchment area draining into the Pant valley, and on to the reservoirs at further south in the county. This area helps quench the thirst of Essex residents!

I have done a little research and it seems the MoJ prefer to have prisons close to population hubs so that families can easily visit those in prison, prisoners have access to work and apprenticeships when on day release, and so that staff can be drawn from the local area. This leads me to ask why on earth Wethersfield Airbase could even make the cut!  

In summary:

·       The local transport infrastructure is simply not up to supporting this proposal

·       This is a rural area. the proposed location is a very long way from major roads, meaning increased traffic on many minor roads, travelling through many very old settlements passing, and disturbing many historic and listed buildings.

·       This is a rural area. Building a massive brutalist-design prison complex in the middle of this is a travesty. Given the need to increase food production, why is this land not being returned to farmers?

·       This is a rural area. There is no local bank of unemployed people seeking jobs, there are very few businesses and hence no jobs or apprenticeships for prisoners. The development of housing is limited by the lack of facilities and infrastructure.

·       This is a rural area. Light, water and air pollution do not belong here, and our wildlife needs to remain undisturbed.

·       Prisoners deserve better than this, as do their families. England already has one of the highest levels of imprisonment, and re-offending is a major issue both for those concerned and for the tax payer as well of course being a major issue for any victims of crime. Re-offending is known to be reduced by frequent contact with family whilst in prison.

For the above reasons, I wish to lodge my objection to this proposed development, and would welcome your comments.

Yours sincerely,

 Download here: Points to include

Points that could be included:

·       Breach of Local and National Planning Policies

Proposals would be contrary to Local Plan policies including those relating to ‘Countryside’, design, landscape and the fact that the site is not an allocated development site.

proposals are in complete conflict with policies in the National Planning Policy Framework including those relating to the need to site development in locations which avoid the need to travel and promote design which should have regard to context and surroundings of a proposed development

·       Lack of real local Consultation

Initial Consultation letter of September 26th sent to only Finchingfield, Wethersfield and Gainsford End. No substance to the document – cut and paste from other consultations. No local details, and no information which was available from the building of Five Wells prison in Wellingborough. No consultation on scoping letter response from BDC – copy sent only to Finchingfield. No initial consultation by MoD to gather local input re best use of total airbase.

·       Traffic and Transport

Wethersfield is X miles from the M11, X miles from the A14 and X miles from the A120. From these roads, the journey to Wethersfield has to be on rural roads which are twisty, narrow (in places single lane) and which go through ancient villages with historic and listed buildings.

Construction traffic will have to use these roads, and the experience at Five Wells suggests some XX trucks per day for the many years of construction. (The initial consultation stated consecutive construction so a total of 10 years.) These trucks will be carrying preformed concrete slabs which form the basis of the USA-based brutalist design,

Operational traffic will involve some xx additional vehicles per day, again based on data from Five Wells.

Increased traffic accident risks plus increased danger to cyclists, equestrians, motor cyclists and walkers.

·       Ecology

The site supports 74 species of birds, some of which are on the endangered and protected species lists. In addition, the MoJ has identified Great Crest newts, Skylarks and other protected animals.

·       Air Quality

The increase in air pollution will be huge during constriction – partly from the construction traffic, and also from the demolition/ground disturbance. As a rural community we enjoy relatively clean air and this will be degraded by the MoJ proposals.

·       Light Pollution

The proposed development has buildings 17m high and the complex will be 1 mile long with a 3-mile perimeter. It will be flood lit 24/7 for security reasons. We currently have little light pollution and most surrounding villages do not have street lights. This development will be visible for miles around – helped by the fact that the proposed site is a high plateau.

·       Noise

This is a quite rural area. We can hear birdsong and horses walking along the lanes. The noise and vibration of the construction traffic, the demolition and the operational traffic will be unacceptable.

·       Water

Water from the airfield drains into the Pant Valley and on to reservoirs near Hanningford and xxx, providing drinking water to many Essex residents. Any risk to the water quality must be avoided and there is a specific risk as soil is disturbed as no one is sure what has been spilt or buried during military occupation.

North Essex is a very dry part of the country and it is recognised now that there is a water shortage in this part of the country. Adding almost 3500 prisoners plus staff plus visitors to the local consumers of water does not seem to be sensible.

·       Heritage and Archaeology

The Airbase is recognised as one of the most important military heritage assets both in terms of its WW2 heritage and it’s Cold War heritage. Many of the buildings on the airbase deserve protection and care, not demolition.

Further, there are the remains of Hawke’s Hall, a Saxon Manor house with links to the Knights Hospitalier and possibly the remains of a Roman Road on the site.

·       Nature of area/Visual Impact

The local area is characterised by small, ancient settlements - villages and hamlets – and scattered farms. There are xx listed buildings in Wethersfield, XX in Finchingfield, XX in Toppesfield, the three Parishes in which the airfield sits. In addition, there are hundreds if not thousands more in surrounding parishes.

The design of the proposed buildings illustrated in the initial consultation are the same as those recently completed near Wellingborough. The design, possibly based on an American “Titan” prison, is brutal. Some 17m high, precast concrete, the buildings will form a complex 1 mile long with a 3-mile perimeter, and of course, it will be floodlit. This will be the largest prison complex in Europe.

The airfield sits on a plateau and the proposed development will be visible for many miles around – especially at night. The white water tower (approximately the same height) is just outside the base and it can be seen from Stambourne and Sampford – both many miles from the base – as well as many other surrounding viewpoints.

·       Remoteness for visiting prisoners

The MoJ policy for new prisons includes ensuring it is accessible for families to visit prisoners as research shows that this helps reduce reoffending. The proposed site at Wethersfield is not easy to access by road (see above), and very difficult to access using public transport. The nearest railways station is at Braintree and this is a single spur from Witham. Bus services are infrequent.

·       Impact on local services – emergency services, local GPs

Although the idea is that the prison complex would be independent of local services, there are risks. The local Ambulance Services are already beyond capacity, hospital A&E departments are over burdened and, typically in a rural area, there are few police nearby. Any incident at the proposed prisons that called upon these services would be an additional burden on already-overstretched services.