Gateside Prison could be replaced by a new jail

The Scottish Government ditched plans for a women’s prison on the former Greenock High School site, after spending £7.7 million on designing it, and buying and clearing the ground.

But now money has been put aside that could see a new prison being built there.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) said as long ago as 2008 that it wanted to replace the prison, which was built in 1910, saying a new facility was necessary because there was no room for re-development at landlocked Gateside.

Now Inverclyde Council leader Stephen McCabe says he’s discovered that the long-awaited project could finally go ahead, after writing to Cabinet Secretary for Justice Michael Matheson about the Inverkip Road site.

Cllr McCabe said: “The site has lain fallow since it was decided not to progress with a new women’s prison, after the original idea to replace HMP Greenock in Inverclyde was shelved.

“The council sold the site to Scottish ministers in March 2011, and, although it continues to be well-maintained and a new perimeter hoarding and fencing has been put up, little has happened for two years.

"Council officers have not been able to find out from their colleagues in the SPS what the future holds for the site, and local people have been asking what is happening, so it is right that we get assurances or at the very least clarification of what is happening.”

The SPS has told Councillor McCabe that ‘budgetary requirements for the replacement for HMP Greenock have been included in the Justice Portfolio’s capital commitments, ahead of the forthcoming Scottish Government spending review’.

Mr McCabe said: “I’m pleased to hear the idea to replace HMP Greenock is not dead in the water, particularly given the importance of the current prison in terms of jobs and the local economy. 

“As a council, we are determined to do all we can to ensure nearly 200 jobs are kept in the area, and are committed to working with the Scottish Government and the SPS to make the new facility a reality.”