HMP Highpoint expanded to create UK’s largest public sector jail

Image courtesy Ministry of Justice / HM Prison and Probation Service

The three new, four-storey houseblocks at HMP Highpoint will boost its capacity by more than 50% and is the latest step in Government action to create safer streets.  

The houseblocks will include innovative workshops and teaching facilities to train prisoners with skills to secure a job on release and turn their backs on crime for good. The new cells will be fully operational by summer 2027.

The construction is a significant milestone in the Government’s plan to deliver 14,000 more prison places by 2031 to lock up dangerous offenders and keep the public safe.   

Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, Lord James Timpson said: "This government is fixing the broken prison system it inherited – wasting no time in getting shovels in the ground to deliver the spaces needed to protect the public.

"These new houseblocks have been designed with a laser-focus on cutting crime and are a major step in our plan to deliver 14,000 more prison places by 2031.  

"But we cannot simply build our way out of this crisis, which is why we’re also reviewing sentencing so we can lock up dangerous offenders, cut crime and make our streets safer."

HMP Highpoint Prison Governor Nigel Smith said: "The expansion at Highpoint will provide much-needed prisoner places in our region.

"The new accommodation will provide a safe and secure environment for us to rehabilitate prisoners and get them ready for release.  

"We are pleased that the construction work has officially begun and we look forward to working with our contractors to get things delivered."

The build will be delivered by Wates Group, a leading family-owned development, building and property maintenance company. Once completed Highpoint will be the largest public sector prison in terms of land size in North-West Europe and the largest in the UK based on prisoner population.

It will help provide an economic boost to East Anglia with hundreds of jobs created during construction and over 200 permanent jobs at the prison once built. Construction alone will bring investment into local businesses with 30% of materials/subcontractors coming from within a 50-mile radius.

Phil Shortman, Regional Managing Director at Wates said: "We are proud to be involved in the major programme of delivering much-needed prison spaces.  

"Through the construction of this project, around 2,000 building components have been crafted in prison workshops, providing meaningful employment opportunities, helping develop valuable skills and supporting brighter futures.  

"We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the government delivering additional prison capacity with a focus on rehabilitation, sustainability and social value for the local community."

The development is part of the government’s 10-year prison capacity strategy published in December. It includes 6,400 places through new houseblocks and 6,500 places via new prisons. One thousand rapid deployment cells will be rolled out across the estate while more than 1,000 existing cells will be refurbished.

A 1,500-capacity prison in Yorkshire, HMP Millsike, will be opened in the coming weeks. The government is investing £2.3 billion to deliver these prison builds, while a further £500 million will go towards vital building maintenance across prisons and the probation service.     

The strategy will work alongside the Independent Sentencing Review to ensure the most serious offenders can always be sent to prison to protect the public.