Survey work has been taking place at the former Camp Hill prison site in Newport, though its demolition is not imminent, the County Press has been told.

The site has been empty since the jail controversially closed in 2013.

Back in 2019, the government told the Isle of Wight's MP that a demolition survey had been commissioned.

The Minister for Justice also said he would visit, to discuss finalising its sale.

Camp Hill demolition and redevelopment plans — justice minister to visit Isle of Wight

However, one year on, the site remains unused.

The work to change Newport’s St Mary’s Roundabout into a traffic-light controlled junction has been linked to the potential future development of the land, but rumours that demolition work is imminent have been dismissed. 

The Isle of Wight’s three prisons combined in 2009 and are known as HMP Isle of Wight, operating on the existing Albany and Parkhurst sites.

This week, Parkhurst ward Councillor Andrew Garratt plans to ask a question about the future of the Camp Hill site, at a meeting of the Isle of Wight Council’s leading Cabinet members.

Isle of Wight County Press:

Cllr Garratt is also calling for ‘transparency’ for those residents who live on the estate and is asking for more engagement from landowner the Ministry of Justice (MOJ).

He told the County Press: “Residents need someone with whom they can speak and be told what’s going to happen and what the timescales are.”

“Regeneration is going to have a huge impact on the community.

“People have been living there with poor roads and infrastructure for decades.”

Work on street lighting has been carried out, but a number of unadopted roads exempt from the Island Roads PFI contract, are in a state of disrepair.