Barlinnie prison replacement cost rises to £1bn as delivery date pushed back

The cost of replacing Barlinnie prison will be almost £1 billion once completed – almost ten times the initial estimate.

The Scottish Government announced on Wednesday that the construction contract for HMP Glasgow had been signed and that the prison would be complete by 2028.

The new prison will replace the 143-year-old HMP Barlinnie, which has been described as no longer fit for purpose and plagued with concerns about overcrowding.

HMP Glasgow, in Provanmill, will be able to hold 1,344 prisoners – 357 more than Barlinnie.

Justice secretary Angela Constance said the £998.4m cost had been impacted by inflation caused by Brexit and the Covid pandemic.

She said: “HMP Glasgow is a bold vision for the future of Scottish prisons that will help reduce reoffending, contribute to less crime, while delivering a considerable economic boost for the city and beyond.

“The new modern establishment will replace a Victorian-age prison that is no longer fit for purpose. It will increase prison capacity and transform how prisoners are rehabilitated, as well as considerably improving staff working conditions.

“Delivering the best value has been a key consideration of this project, which will provide more £450 million worth of economic benefits, including jobs and contracts for businesses in Scotland. I very much welcome that at least 50% of project spend will benefit the local supply chain.

“It has taken time to find the right site and plan for HMP Glasgow, and like all other major infrastructure projects it has not been immune to inflation as a result of Brexit and the Covid pandemic.

“The project’s cost has been extensively scrutinised, with independent benchmarking analysis finding the costs are comparable with similar prison projects elsewhere in the UK.”

It had previously been estimated that the prison would be delivered by November 2026 at a cost of £400m, with £100m and a 2014 estimate cited by an auditor at a Holyrood committee.

Scottish Prison Service chief executive Teresa Medhurst added: “HMP Glasgow will have a transformative impact in how we support and rehabilitate people.

“It is an investment in our staff, in those in our care, and in Glasgow and Scotland as a whole, as we work with our partners to improve people’s futures and together build safer communities.

“I want to thank Scottish Government, for its continued support and investment, and everyone whose hard work has helped us reach this important milestone as we continue to develop a prison estate fit for the 21st century.”

Developer Kier Construction has committed to providing local employment, including apprenticeships, training and work placements for ex-offenders, as well as supporting local businesses.

The Scottish Conservatives accused the SNP of “squandering taxpayers’ money on a scandalous scale”.

Conservative justice spokesperson Liam Kerr said: “The SNP are squandering taxpayers’ money on a scandalous scale, and the public are going to pay a colossal price for the nationalists’ financial incompetence.

“It is scarcely believable that the costs to replace Barlinnie are now set to hit nearly a billion pounds and that the new prison won’t be open for another three years.

“That is a total dereliction of duty at a time when the SNP are about to release hundreds of dangerous prisoners due to their failure to invest in Scotland’s prison estate over 18 years in power.

“Angela Constance must give an urgent explanation to Parliament as to why Glasgow’s new prison will now cost taxpayers ten times more than first thought.”