Pick Everard will be working closely with the Ministry of Justice.
Four new prisons are to be built around the country and local independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard will play an integral role in their design.
The prisons will be built in Yorkshire and in the North West and South East of England.
Pick Everard joins the project following its appointment by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to its New Prisons Programme (NPP).
The MoJ and HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) aims to deliver a decent, safe and secure estate that supports offender rehabilitation.
The new prisons will be designed with this in mind. They will also provide prison staff the necessary tools to prevent offenders from being drawn into further criminal activity whilst serving their sentence in custody and turn their lives around.
Operating under Perfect Circle’s unique collaboration, which comprises Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM, Pick Everard has been appointed as client designer for the project, with procurement and delivery being accelerated through SCAPE, a public sector procurement authority.
Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, said: “Modernising HMPPS’ prison estate is a matter of national interest, not just in terms of supporting communities with effective rehabilitation, but also in enabling our economic recovery through public sector investment."
Robin Seaton, HMPPS Programme Director for New Prisons added: “It is essential that we get the design right to deliver Ministers’ and HMPPS’ commitment to modernise and improve prisons, making them more secure and better equipped to rehabilitate prisoners. We are confident that Pick Everard will help us to meet these aims.”
The NPP will initially develop the design for four new prisons – the first of which will be located in Full Sutton, Yorkshire, with a further three locations to be confirmed.
Tim Irons, director of architecture at Pick Everard said: "Following the successful delivery of common designs at HMP Five Wells and Glen Parva, this next phase of intense construction activity will deliver not only much needed prison places for the MoJ, but importantly, environments sensitively designed to bring the best possible outcomes for those passing through them as they reach the end of their sentences."
The Pick Everard team has commenced a baseline design review, which began last month. This will be followed by the development of a suite of reference designs, which will be used to deliver the four new prisons together with potential expansions of existing sites.
Pick Everard will work closely with the MoJ to develop its existing ‘baseline design’ for prisons and deliver site specific designs for each of the new prisons. There are currently two prisons under construction to a ‘common’ design – one in Wellingborough (named HMP Five Wells) and the other in Glen Parva – which will form the basis for the new reference prison designs.
David Nisbet, partner at Pick Everard, said: “The NPP marks a really significant reform to the prison system and we are looking forward to working closely with the MoJ on delivering a new approach, which will offer value for money both throughout the design and build, but also in the day-to-day operation of the prisons.”
The designs will introduce further opportunities to implement modern methods of construction and adapting current designs to meet ambitious new sustainability targets in support of achieving a net zero carbon estate.
