VILLAGERS will find out tomorrow whether a massive new prison will be built on their doorstep.

The Government wants to build a new 1,000 capacity prison at Full Sutton in the East Riding, a village that already hosts a 600 capacity high security prison, but locals say the huge new development would significantly harm their area.

The new prison would be for Category C male prisoners - a lower level of security than the existing HMP Full Sutton - but would spread across 21 hectares west of the current prison. The Government first announced plans for Full Sutton in March, as part of a £1.3 billion prisons investment. An outline planning application has gone in, and on Thursday East Riding council’s planning committee will decide whether to allow or refuse the development.

Neighbours say the plan would be unsustainable and unsuitable, and the increase is size would be unacceptable. Forty-three people have made formal objections, and six local parish councils have also come out in opposition to them.

Councillors in Full Sutton say “It is simply not a suitable or a sustainable location”, and go on to cite the lack of public transport, massive increase in traffic and the impact the large buildings would have on the countryside of East Yorkshire as reasons why the development must be turned down. The new prison’s “prominent, substantial and fortress like appearance” would cause significant harm to the area, adding that the development overall is “too big, in the wrong location for the category or prison and the effect is an abuse of the community”.

Council planning officers, however, are backing the new prison and say that even though it is not the sort of development that should be allowed in a place like Full Sutton - which is outside development limits - it would create 500 new jobs. They also say that landscaping issues can be sorted when a more detailed application goes in; while the amount of new traffic would not justify any off-site road improvements.

The planning officials have recommended approval, subject to final pieces of information being submitted, and the planning committee will meet in Beverley on Thursday.