Wates has got the all-clear to start early works on a £300m new Category B super prison in Leicestershire.

The project will deliver 1,700 prison places for the Ministry of Justice, with a focus on enabling rehabilitation of prisoners and delivering social value to the local community.

Work is starting on land adjacent to the existing HMP Gartree, near Market Harborough.

Wates will build seven four-storey house blocks, each containing around 245 prisoners, two big workshops and an educational facility incorporating 26 classrooms to help prisoners develop skills to aid their rehabilitation after release.

Throughout the project, 50 prison leavers will be trained and reskilled, to prepare them to reintegrate into the workforce.

To stimulate the local economy and promote regional growth, Wates expects that 40% of the project spend will be within a 50-mile radius of the site. Additionally, the development will create 100 new jobs during construction providing employment opportunities locally.

Offsite manufacturing will be used to create the main structures for the accommodation, service modules and plant rooms, to improve efficiencies in the construction process and minimise carbon emissions.

Phil Shortman, Regional Managing Director – MoJ, Wates said: “We are pleased to have the green light to deliver this important project, which will make a real difference both to the local economy and to providing the prison places the country needs.

“Through the construction of this project, we are committed to providing valuable employment opportunities to those leaving prison.”