Refurb Projects April 2017

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Prison Redevelopments
Planning permission has been granted for architect Purcell’s two prison redevelopments for City & Country.
Dorchester prison in Dorset and Shepton Mallet prison in Somerset will be restored and converted into high
quality homes.
The proposal to develop the
former HMP Dorchester was
granted planning consent by
West Dorset District Council
on 16th February 2017. Planning
permission was secured from Mendip
District Council to develop Shepton
Mallet on 18th January 2017.
Prior to its closure in 2013,
HMP Shepton Mallet was the
oldest working prison in Britain
with a colourful list of infamous
inmates including the Kray twins.
The Grade II and II* listed
buildings, including the cell blocks,
treadwheel house and workshops,
will be refurbished and converted
into 96 apartments. Within the
prison walls, new apartments
located on the site will comprise a
new 23 unit residential block and
27 apartments within terraced
‘mews’ style housing.
The former visitor’s centre and
part of B-Wing will be transformed
into a heritage space and a
community café. The site will also
provide parking and high quality
landscaping. Within the historic cell
blocks the quality of the top-lit
atrium spaces will be retained and
the historic features refurbished,
with new apartments created
through linking the former cells
together. An opening will be created
in the prison walls to allow
improved pedestrian access into the
historic site.
Also closed in 2013, HMP
Dorchester is where the last woman
was publicly hanged in Dorset. The
prison, located on the site of a
Norman castle, has historic links to
the author Thomas Hardy. While
most of the buildings are late
Victorian, its Grade II listed
gatehouse dates from the late 18th
century.
The approved plans will create
185 homes. The main cell blocks will
be transformed into 60 one and two
bedroom apartments, while new
terraced mansion-style buildings will
provide 125 further apartments. The
gatehouse will be converted into a
heritage interpretative space for the
public. The designs also include new
terraced houses and apartments
outside of the prison walls,
transforming what is currently a car
park into an improved public space
on North Square at the entrance of
the former prison site.
Purcell is the architect and lead
consultant on both projects. Both
sites are owned and are being
developed by City & Country. The
project team includes landscape
designers OPEN, planning
consultants JLL, multi-disciplinary
engineers Hydrock, transport
consultants Calidus and structural
engineers The Morton Partnership.
Helen Moore, Managing Director
at City & Country said: “It is
incredibly exciting to be charting
new territory as the first developer in
the UK to convert prisons of this size
into residential use and Purcell has
played an integral role in bringing
forward these exceptional plans.”
Alasdair Travers, Partner at
Purcell commented: “The historic
prisons at Dorchester and Shepton
Mallet have been a really significant
part of the life of both towns for
over two hundred years. The
challenge of both sites is resolving
how to convert the historic cell
blocks into characterful modern
apartments and how to create new
green open spaces within the prison
walls. Our designs bring out the
special character of each site’s
heritage to create a sense of place,
transforming the prisons into
attractive places to live.”
Having successfully secured
planning permission, both projects
will commence on site later this
year.
4 APRIL 2017, REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS