Could RCT be the location for a new prison?
It has emerged that RCT Council was the only one in Wales to respond to a request by the Ministry for Justice for suggested prison sites. When asked by Wales Online a "spokesperson" for RCT Council said
""The Ministry of Justice did write to all local authorities in the UK last year, requesting details of the sites both in public and private ownership, which met a specific list of criteria."
They did not disclose which possible sites they had suggested.
Welsh Liberal Democrat Councillor Mike Powell said
"This has certainly been kept very quiet – I don't remember seeing this in any Council papers, or reported on the website.
"What site or sites have they put forward as suitable to house a prison? The former coke works site at Coedely perhaps? Or they have been very keen over the years to build at Mwyndy. Who knows? Obviously the Labour Cabinet must be aware of this – why the secrecy?
"Undoubtedly it would bring jobs to the area, and of course they need to be built somewhere, but residents in RCT will feel rightly aggrieved. Whilst neighbouring authorities such as Merthyr are thriving and attracting new business the only ambition Labour in RCT seems to have is to bring a prison here.
