DETAILED plans for Inverclyde’s new £75 million female-only prison are set to be lodged with the council next week, the Telegraph can reveal.

The state-of-the-art 300-cell facility — being built to replace Scotland’s only women’s jail, Cornton Vale in Stirlingshire — is expected to be completed in 2017.

Once operational on a 22-acre site off Inverkip Road, the new HMP Inverclyde will turn Greenock into a two-jail town along with the existing 104-year-old Gateside Prison on Old Inverkip Road.

It is understood that the full planning application will be lodged with the council next week and construction work could start next year.

The new prison — including a wing for a young offenders — will house high risk and long-term women inmates from across Scotland, as well as remand prisoners.

News of the imminent planning application comes as the SPS begins a search for construction firms to build the jail — with a deadline for registering interest set for 31 October.

An invitation to tender for the work will be issued to selected companies next January.

The prison will be erected on land occupied by the former Greenock High School, which is currently being demolished.

Nearby Glenburn School is also being torn down as part of the site clearance operation off Inverkip Road.

The overall cost estimates include clearing the site, ground preparation works and design specifications as well as the actual construction work.

Plans for new roads and associated access and services for the new prison are also currently being developed.

The SPS bought the site from Inverclyde Council in 2011 before leasing it back to the local authority in order that short term educational commitments could be met.

The Greenock High building was most recently used to take in pupils and staff from St Columba’s High while a new school was built for them in Gourock.

The Telegraph exclusively revealed four years ago that Inverkip Road had been earmarked for a new jail.

Bosses had initially planned to build it as a replacement for Greenock’s Gateside jail, pictured, but those plans were later shelved.

It was announced in 2012 that the new jail would be for women only.

An invitation to tender to build the prison is to be issued to selected firms in early January.

An SPS spokesman said today: “We were granted planning permission in principle to construct a prison on the site in Inverclyde in July 2011.

“This will be a dual purpose prison which acts as the regional prison for female offenders from the west of Scotland and a national facility for female offenders who would benefit from specialist interventions.

“There were a number of conditions attached to this approval. The SPS have now developed the design to allow an application for approval of matters specified by conditions.

“This application will include details of proposed site plans, building plans and building elevations. The SPS intend to make this application later this month.

“The capital costs for this project include, amongst other matters, demolition and enabling works.”