Work at 1,620-place Featherstone jail will start this summer

The Ministry of Justice confirmed today that Kier has won the contract to build the £150m Featherstone prison in Wolverhampton.

Minister of state for justice, Maria Eagle, said the firm, which ºÚ¶´ÉçÇø tipped as the winner last week, had been named preferred bidder for the new-build jail in the West Midlands.

Preparatory work for the 1,620-place scheme is due to start this summer, with main contract work beginning later in the year. The first two house blocks are expected to open in spring 2012 and a third block in summer 2012.

The government said a separate competition to operate the prison would be announced in due course.