Council bosses approved the plans for the development, which includes demolition of the existing gym located inside a pre-Second World War hangar on the Freckleton Road site.
A new double height gymnasium, with badminton courts, a weight training room, a social area, changing rooms, staff offices and stores will be built on the site, providing both a fitness and social hub for prisoners and staff. Five multi-use games areas with associated fencing and lighting will also be built.
Plans for the new gym were submitted to Fylde Council in June after it was determined that the old one had deteriorated ‘beyond any reasonable attempt to repair’.
A statement submitted on behalf of the Ministry of Justice said: “These hangars, are unsurprisingly suffering from their age, have various corroded steel frame members and deflect during high winds…. continued use of the remaining hangars is restricted in the interests of health and safety and use of them is not allowed during periods of high winds. Visual surveys…
