The long-awaited new prison for the Highlands will “realistically” be finished by 2026.
The Press and Journal was given access to the construction site of the new HMP Highland today – four years after the project was initially scheduled for completion.
In April, the Scottish Government gave the final go-ahead for the project with the signing of a construction contract.
The new prison, which will accommodate 200 inmates, will cost taxpayers £209million, more than four times the original figure of just £52million.
Today, Scottish Prison Service deputy governor and project executive Lorraine Roughan told the P&J the prison will “realistically be finished by 2026″.
She said work on the site “is currently on time and on programme”.
Meanwhile, cabinet secretary for justice Angela Constance – who was also in attendance – said a 2026 completion is “deliverable”.
She said the Scottish Government is not at fault for the delays and increased costs, blaming “Brexit, the pandemic, and construction inflation”.
A look at HMP Highland
The new 130,000sq ft HMP Highland is being built on an 18-acre plot behind Inverness Retail Park.
It will be Scotland’s first net-zero prison, with improved education and health facilities to help with rehabilitation.
It will also allow more adult men from the Highlands and Islands to be accommodated in the area, which will improve access for families and services, as well as creating local jobs.
SPS deputy governor Ms Roughan said: “It’s absolutely going to be a community legacy, and we will be able to bring more people who are from this local area so they can keep in contact with their families and friends.
“Space for family visitors will be large and we’re going to need more staff here, so that will bring employment opportunity into the local area.”
Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary for Justice Angela Constance described HMP Highland as a “vital public service.”
She said: “It will provide great opportunities for a full range of services in terms of community reintegration.
“It’s a vital public service but it will also have broader community benefits such as the creation of job opportunities.”
HMP Highland work will ‘realistically’ be complete by 2026
The new Inverness prison is expected to be finished in 2026, six years after the original plan of 2020. The project was approved in 2017.
Ms Roughan said “it is realistic” to say HMP Highland will be completed by the revised date.
She said: “The work on the site is currently on time and on programme and it’s really pleasing to be able to see some of the developments actually coming out of the ground.
“There has been work done at this new HMP Highland site for nearly two years and most of it is not visible but is actually fundamental to achieve the zero direct emissions purpose.”
However, she admitted that the prison will not start operating straight after its completion, as there will be need for a “transition period.”
She explained: “We have to close HMP Inverness before we can open HMP Highland.
“We have deliberately not set an opening date yet because we need to see what training will be required for staff, look into staff recruitment and make sure that people working at HMP Inverness are comfortable with the transition to HMP Highland.”
Meanwhile, justice secretary Angela Constance said 2026 is “deliverable.”
“We’re absolutely focused on the 2026 delivery; I have sought reassurance on many occasions from the Scottish Prison Service and they are confident 2026 is deliverable,” she said.
She added the Scottish Government is doing everything in its power not to go over the current estimated expenditure.
“We’re doing our utmost to ensure this vital project is brought on time and on the revised budget,” she said.
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