The Ministry of Justice has signed the main works order with us for a £100m expansion project at HMP Onley in Warwickshire.
This project will deliver 180 new category C prison places for the Ministry of Justice in three 60-bed, secure houseblocks. It is the first project in the Small Secure Houseblocks Programme, an MoJ Alliance programme delivering around a thousand additional prison places.
This work is part of the government’s prison building expansion programme to increase capacity and alleviate the nationwide pressure on prison places.
Alongside the new houseblocks, the project at HMP Onley will deliver a new workshop for vocational training. This aims to reduce reoffending by improving the rehabilitation of offenders and teaching them valuable skills to help secure meaningful employment upon release. The project will also include the refurbishment of some existing facilities, including kitchens, offices and classrooms.
Fiona Parker, Deputy Director, Small Secure Houseblocks Programme at His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), said: “This expansion at HMP Onley marks a critical step forward in delivering modern, secure, and rehabilitative prison facilities as part of our wider commitment to increase prison capacity. The new houseblocks and vocational training workshop will help ensure prisoners have the opportunity to develop skills that support their reintegration into society, ultimately helping to reduce reoffending and protect the public.”
Phil Shortman, Managing Director – MoJ at Wates, added: “As the first project in the Small Secure Houseblocks Programme to reach this stage, today’s announcement represents a significant milestone in providing much-needed new prison places. At Wates, we are proud to work closely with the government and will continue collaborating with the Ministry of Justice to deliver additional prison capacity at HMP Onley and through our other projects up and down the country.”
The houseblocks will be delivered using a standardised design and construction approach common across the programme. This will reduce carbon emissions and speed up delivery, while ensuring the new prison places meet the highest standards of quality and security. More than 65 per cent of the houseblocks at HMP Onley will be manufactured offsite, maximising efficiency and minimising waste.
Other key partners in the delivery of the project at HMP Onley are Mace Group and Gleeds.
Construction on the new houseblocks is targeting completion by the end of 2026, with the houseblocks becoming operational shortly afterwards.
