Why Dartmoor Prison is once again at the centre of a cost, community and safety debate

HMP Dartmoor’s long-term future is under renewed scrutiny after it was recently revealed the government is spending around £4million a year maintaining the prison despite it standing empty for more than 18 months.

The category C prison at Princetown was closed in July 2024 after high levels of radioactive radon gas were detected, forcing the relocation of more than 600 prisoners. 

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Since then, the facility has remained unused, with no clear timetable for reopening or alternative use, despite the Health and Safety Executive continuing its investigation.

While national attention has focused on the financial cost highlighted in the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee report, the current situation has raised deeper questions closer to home on Dartmoor.

The Moorlander contacted the Ministry of Justice for confirmation of nationally published statistics and information.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said:

"This decision was taken in 2022. This government inherited a crisis in our prisons system, where prisons were on the brink of collapse, threatening a total collapse in law and order.

"This government is addressing the prisons crisis through building 14,000 new prison places and the Sentencing Bill which will deliver punishment that works."

The spokesperson went on to offer further guidance, saying a new lease for HMP Dartmoor was signed in 2022 “due to critical capacity pressures across the prison estate” and was assessed as offering “better value for money for taxpayers”. 

They said the site survey that identified the need for radon mitigations took place after the lease was signed and that the period between July 2020 and 2022 is now “subject to an ongoing HSE investigation”, meaning it would not be appropriate to comment further.

The spokesperson added that the department is in “ongoing engagement with stakeholders, including the UKHSA, HSE, and other radon mitigation specialists” to assess options to reopen the prison.

However it is stressed that reoccupation would only be considered once it is feasible in terms of “legislative compliance, operational viability and the cost of mitigation measures”, adding that value for money and public accountability remain priorities.

For residents of Princetown and the wider Dartmoor area, the closure has left a visible void, both physically and economically. 

HMP Dartmoor has long been a major employer and a defining presence in the village, and its continued limbo has created growing frustration.

ABOVE: The prison has laid empty since July 2024 (Image: Andrew Rabbott Creative Commons)

Mrs Taylor, a Princetown resident for 40 years, spoke to The Moorlander to share her views on how the closure of HMP Dartmoor has affected the village.

“The closure of Dartmoor prison has had a tumultuous effect on our village, especially for the people who worked there. Many are locals and it was essentially on their doorstep, but now they have to travel miles to another establishment. 

“Local businesses are already struggling and, with this closure, I can see some having to shut. One local pub used to have people staying in its B&B rooms for prison business, but that has now stopped.”

“It seems ridiculous when there is such a shortage of prison places and Dartmoor is sitting empty with capacity for more than 600 inmates. As for radon gas, we live on Dartmoor and have done so for centuries, our homes are tested regularly and levels are negligible. 

“Paying £4m a year makes no sense; it wouldn’t cost that to fix the problem. They have their priorities all wrong.”

Other locals in the village said the closure of HMP Dartmoor has “definitely” reduced footfall in Princetown, with one charity shop worker saying fewer visitors are coming into the village following the loss of the prison and other facilities. 

Others said the prison had long been part of daily life, with one resident saying, “Without the prison Princetown won’t be the same,” pointing to the impact on local staff and the village atmosphere.

Some residents also questioned the radon decision, asking why the prison was closed while the village remains occupied and calling for clearer answers about the health risks and future plans for the site.

Attention has also turned to local political leadership and what pressure MPs are putting on the government to reach a decision.

Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP Luke Pollard has previously spoken on prison capacity and public sector value, and took to social media to comment on the current situation on Dartmoor.

“This is an absolute disgrace. The PAC report on HMP Dartmoor shows £4m/year wasted on an empty, gas-filled prison. This is the cost of 14 years of Tory failure to build prison places. We’ve inherited a mess, but we’re fixing it with a 10-year plan for 14,000 new places.”

The Moorlander approached Sir Geoffrey Cox MP for comment but did not receive a response by the article's 5pm deadline on Thursday 8 January.

As investigations continue, many on Dartmoor are asking whether the issue has drifted too long, and whether decisive action is now needed to bring certainty to a site that has shaped the heart of Princetown for generations.