Fears that North Wales prison could lead to a crime boom in Llandudno and Colwyn Bay.
A NORTH WALES prison could see ex-convicts flooding into coastal resorts leading to a rise in the crime rate it’s feared.
A NORTH WALES prison could see ex-convicts flooding into coastal resorts leading to a rise in the crime rate it’s feared.
A councillor has expressed his concern, after Conwy County council decided to support the concept of a 2,000 inmate prison being built in the region.
Although it’s unlikely that it will be built in Conwy county or Denbighshire, Colwyn Bay councillor Bob Squire claims it will cater mainly for offenders from England who may want to settle in the area when they are released.
He explained: “My fear is that most of the prisoners will come from the North West of England and the West Midlands, and that they will look to be housed in places like Colwyn Bay and Llandudno when they’re rehoused after discharge, and that some of them will re-offend causing a rise in the crime rate.”
Cllr Squire said both resorts had a wide range of rental accommodation including houses in multiple occupation and these could prove attractive to prisoners from large cities.
“This is a beautiful part of the world, and some landlords widely advertise the fact that there is rental accommodation here.
“There are even notices to that effect in some prisons in England, so it stands to reason that some prisoners won’t want to go back to where they came from after they’re released,” he claimed.
On Tuesday, Conwy county council’s cabinet decided to support the concept of a North Wales prison, but on Monday members of the council’s principal scrutiny committee stressed it was unlikely to be in Conwy or Denbighshire as neither county had a suitable site to offer.
And it seems likely that it could be sited in the Wrexham area.
Cllr Squire says he’s not opposed to the concept of a prison in North Wales but believes the proposed facility is far too large.
“I’m completely opposed to a 2,000 person prison, but I’m not averse to a small prison for up to 500 inmates.
“Statistics show that at any one time there are only 200 to 300 people who are indigenous to North Wales serving prison sentences, yet we’re looking at a prison housing 10 times that number.
“It seems favourite that it will go to the Wrexham area, and it’s unlikely that it will provide a significant number of jobs in Conwy so I can’t see any good reason for supporting it,” he said.
But Colwyn councillor Brian Cossey takes a different view: “I believe this is going to be good for North Wales in terms of jobs, but it’s not going to be in Conwy or Denbighshire as we don’t have any suitable sites.
“I believe it will be in the Wrexham area because Shrewsbury Prison is closing. Let North East Wales have it and I think we’ll reap the benefits.”
North Wales will be up against two English regions in the bidding for a new 2,000 inmate prison, and the North Wales Regional Leadership Board which is made up of representatives of county councils will put together a proposal for a submission providing all the region’s county councils support it.
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