Skanska/Serco take £600m Belmarsh and Maghull prisons deal

A Skanska/Serco consortium won a £600m deal to build and operate two PFI prisons at Belmarsh West and Maghull for the National Offender Management Service (NOMS).

Consortia involving Galliford Try and Interserve lost out on the contract

Skanska will build the prisons while Serco will operate them over 26½ years.

Construction is set to start in the first half of 2010, with completion in the second half of 2011.

Equity and debt finance will be provided by third parties.

The Category B facilities will house up to 900 male prisoners in Belmarsh West and 800 in Maghull.

Christopher Hyman, chief executive of Serco Group, said: "We are proud to extend our partnership with the Ministry of Justice and NOMS.

"We are committed to providing safe, secure and cost effective regimes and offender accommodation that reduce reoffending and which support offenders in leading more fulfilling lives once they have been released. Governments around the world are facing increasing justice and homeland security challenges, and we are seeing significant opportunities to use our skills to support them."