WYG to Manage $330 Million Irish Prison Project

LIMAVADY, Northern Ireland — International planning and construction consultant White Young Green will manage the design and construction program for a new $330 million prison that will be located on the site of an existing prison.

Northern Ireland Prison Service officials awarded the three-year contract to oversee development of a new 800-cell facility to be located at the existing H.M. Prison Magilligan site in County Derry. WYG Management Services will partner with Nolan Ryan Tweeds — both divisions of the WYG Group — to develop the program planning and management for all phases of the replacement prison project.

H.M.P. Magilligan, a minimum- to medium-security prison complex with cell and dormitory housing units, has a rated capacity of 502 inmates and houses adult male inmates serving up to six years.

Magilligan opened in 1972 as a compound prison operated by the British Army. It includes three H-block housing units similar to those found in the Maze prison near Belfast. In 2008, prison officials unveiled new 64-bed and 50-bed units as part of a long-term campus redevelopment and facility replacement plan.

“This is another significant step in the redevelopment of Magilligan prison, which is in need of replacement,” says NIPS Director Robin Masefield. “It is essential that the design of the new prison is future-proofed and that it provides cost-effective operational flexibility.”

Under the terms of the contract, the WYG team will also oversee design, procurement, tender documentation and construction contract awards.

“We believe the experience of our team in managing major prison developments elsewhere in the UK was a major factor in our success and that we can bring benefits to the taxpayer by working to reduce both the time scale and cost for building the new Magilligan prison,” says Clive Anderson, managing director of WYG Management Services.

The project team will also assist with the preparation a needs assessment, development of a business case proposal, and production of an exemplar design, before officials seek government approval.

“We are delighted that WYG are on board to help us deliver our vision of a state-of-the-art prison that will ensure the well-being of prisoners, staff and visitors alike and which will also deliver maximum value for money in running costs, best practice in sustainability and contribute positively to the local community,” Masefield says.