PRESS RELEASE : Ministry of Justice confirms sale of former Reading Prison site [January 2024]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 11 January 2024.
The Ministry of Justice has today (11 January 2024) confirmed the sale of the former Reading Prison site to a non-profit organisation, the Ziran Education Foundation.
The sale follows an extensive bidding and vetting process to guarantee best value for taxpayers’ money while ensuring future planning applications acknowledge the historic nature of the site.
The Ziran Education Foundation will now engage with Reading Borough Council on the use of the site as it will need to approve any development plans.
Initial proposals included plans for an educational centre providing services to the local community, including a museum outlining the history of the prison and an exhibition space accessible to the public.
Proceeds from the sale will now be reinvested in the wider prison estate to help reduce reoffending and protect the public. In the last decade we have raised over £105 million through the sale of former prison sites.
