Plans have been submitted to build a women’s custody unit in the Hilltown area of Dundee.
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has been working on building a unit for women who are nearing the end of their prison sentence in Nelson Street, the former site of Our Lady’s Primary School.
However, some nearby residents are “dead against” the location of the unit.
If given the green light, the community custody unit (CCU) will open in late 2020. It will house up to 16 female prisoners, predominately from Dundee and the surrounding areas, who have been assessed suitable to be reintroduced to the community.
If approved by councillors, the construction work should begin in early 2019.
Rosebank Street resident Thom Henney started a petition in September. He said he is not against the unit, but argued the Hilltown is not the right place for it.
He said: “The whole concept is great, but it’s in the wrong place. If the women are from the area then they will be surrounded by the life that made them offend in the first place.
“Our position hasn’t changed at all. The overall feeling I get is that people are dead against it.
“What’s the point of spending so much money to regenerate the area and then build something like this?
“It’s not just people in the Hilltown area who have said that. I’ve had people come up to me on the streets, having seen my picture in the paper saying it’s ridiculous.
“I’ve spoken to maybe four or five people who are in favour of the plans and that’s out of hundreds of people.
“It’s important to the those who live in the area. We are still waiting on some of the petitions forms to come back so we don’t have a final number yet, but it has more than 700 names on it.”
Nelson Street was one of 23 sites in the city that were considered for the building. It will consist of three houses.
The women will not be allowed out without a risk assessment being carried out.
The prison service held public consultation sessions near the proposed site earlier this year where residents were able to view the plans for themselves and leave comment.
A SPS spokeswoman said: “It will be completely secure and the women will only be allowed out on licence for things such as going to see a GP.”
A further public consultation will be held in Dundee Central Library on August 23.
