Britain’s biggest prison could be built near Jamie Oliver’s £6 million Essex mansion.
The celebrity chef lives in a picturesque village but the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is proposing to build two ‘mega jails’ that can hold up to 3,430 male inmates on the site of a former RAF airbase nearby.
The 800-acre site is set to be “bigger than Lakeside” shopping centre, but locals say the narrow roads surrounding the village make it the “worst place you could find a prison”.
Local campaign group Stop Wethersfield Airfield Prison (SWAP) said the prisons would be visible from the villages, as well as other surrounding areas.
This could come as a blow to Jamie, who recently won planning permission to turn part of his home into a recording studio so he can work from there.
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Alan Mackenzie, who chairs SWAP, said the TV chef and his family face, along with other residents, face having their lives “turned upside down” by the plans.
He told the Daily Mail : “Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools are well known in the area. There is no doubt the building of two mega prisons on their doorstep will have a major effect on him.
“It will turn life upside down for everyone, including him. I doubt that he is going to be very happy about it.”
Mr MacKenzie explained the roads in the area are all fairly narrow with choke points where lorries already struggle to pass.
He claimed this would result in “traffic chaos” if the plans went ahead, both during the construction period and when the prisons were up and running.
“It is also possible his [Jamie’s] home is in the line of sight of the prisons.... so he may have to put up with looking at them. There will certainly be floodlights. It will be beaming out on him,” the campaigner added.
The Mirror has reached out to Jamie’s reps for comment.
His wife Jools is said to be aware of the plans as she is friends with some of the local protesters.
Although it is thought Jamie may not want to publicly comment on the plans as he employed prisoners to work in his Fifteen restaurants in London and Cornwall, which have now closed.
At the moment the plans are only in the consultation stage, but have so far been met with outcry from locals.
Residents found out about the proposals when they were sent letters in the post 17 months ago.
The site has been earmarked as favourable as it is already in the hands of the Ministry of Defence, meaning the MoJ will not need to buy the land in order to build on it.
A computer generated image of the prisons – which would house category B and C prisoners - shows the buildings will be four-storeys high should the plans go ahead.
This is set to include seven prison blocks, parking for 1,000 cars, a gym, workshop and guard dog kennels.
The MoJ claim the prisons would provide long-lasting benefits for people living nearby and create around 1,400 new jobs in the area.
However, previous plans to build nearly 5,000 houses on the airfield land were reportedly scrapped because the area is rural.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson told The Mirror: “We recognise residents are seeking clarity and while no decision has been made, we will continue to consult and update them as our prison building plans develop.
“The Government is creating 20,000 new prison places as part of plans to make sure the most serious offenders spend longer in prison.
"New prisons bring significant economic growth to an area, with new jobs and investment in local businesses who help build and supply the prison.”
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