Pick Everard to design prisons of the future under new MoJ appointment

Supporting UK prison development, leading multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard has been appointed as the sole supplier for Client Designer services to the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) Future Prison Supply Service Providers Framework.

The new appointment will see Pick Everard supporting the MoJ’s focus on capacity expansion across the prison estate, including category A to D, and women’s facilities.

As the sole supplier, Pick Everard will lead the design of accommodation across the MoJ estate, covering new build works along with improvement works for existing assets.

It marks a continuation of Pick Everard’s longstanding relationship with the MoJ, which spans more than two decades. In the past five years, this has included working closely on the New Prisons Programme (NPP) including work at HMP Five Wells, HMP Fosse Way, and HMP Millsike, with the latter being the first all-electric prison in the UK.

Image: HMP Five Wells

Jon Parry, operations director at Pick Everard, said: “This is a really proud moment for us at Pick Everard, securing a key appointment to continue our design work with the MoJ.

“While working on the New Prisons Programme, our work included developing the reference design for all new prisons – essentially a ‘blueprint’ that has been used across multiple new prisons since its development.

“Our expertise in the justice sector has ensured designs for prisons that are fit for the future from every perspective, and with each new prison we have continued to refine the reference design to ensure continuous improvement and agility to evolving pressures on the estate.

“This latest appointment will take this even further, building on a relationship that now spans decades. Whether it’s brand-new facilities or working to improve the capacity or condition of existing ones, we’re primed and ready to continue supporting the MoJ with the technical assurance and quality needed for these vital parts of the UK’s infrastructure.”

The new framework programme has been procured through the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) framework. Pick Everard’s core design services will include architecture, structural engineering, civil engineering, building services, and environmental services – supplemented by its wider multi-disciplinary offering and selected Supply Chain Partners.

Alastair Hamilton, chief operating officer at Pick Everard, said: “Our delivery of prison programmes plays a vital role in supporting the MoJ’s ambition to increase capacity across the UK. With demand for prison places rising, our expertise ensures we can deliver safe, secure facilities that promote rehabilitation but also generate hundreds of new employment opportunities – for example, HMP Millsike alone will create in the region of 600 new roles once fully operational this year.

“We look forward to continuing our partnership with the MoJ, unlocking new opportunities that bring positive and lasting legacies to communities, local economies, and the environment.”

The MoJ’s pipeline of work remains strong, with Pick Everard working on several schemes prior to the appointment. This includes HMP Rye Hill in Rugby, for which the firm were appointed by Galliford Try to provide architectural design, landscaping, and sustainability services.

The project included a new houseblock, a multi-purpose facility, and an education and multi-faith building, along with expansion works to the visitor building, main kitchen gatehouse, and car park to support an increased population.

In addition to design services, Pick Everard is delivering advisory services across Central England and Wales through the Property Professional Services Framework (PPSF). Its projects encompass full-site fire safety improvements, demolition, and new-build ancillary units, site-wide security upgrades, and comprehensive building and fabric decarbonisation and refurbishment initiatives.