Lowmoss Prison
Encyclopedia
HMP Low Moss is located on the outskirts of Bishopbriggs
, East Dunbartonshire
; near Glasgow
, Scotland
. It had been operated by the Scottish Prison Service
as a prison since 1968 and was for low-category prisoners who had sentences of less than 36 months to serve. It has been closed for redevelopment since 28 May 2007, with an order made for its formal closure on 7 July 2007.
-era RAF
Barrage balloon
depot, known as RAF Bishopbriggs, constructed in 1939, base of No.18 (Balloon) Squadron and No.15 Maintenance Unit. It was also used as an overnight 'transit' camp for other RAF Units being transferred from the south of England to the north of Scotland. After WW2, RAF Bishopbriggs was utilised as a training school for the Royal Military Police
for a time. Low Moss was first used by the Scottish Prison Service
as a training school between 1964 and 1970. There was a break in this use between 1966 and 1968 when training reverted to Barlinnie Prison.
Prison had been refurbished. Strathkelvin
District Council agreed to that extension in January 1982.
A further year was requested in February 1988, but in July the council objected to that request and sought a public local inquiry, after which the council approved a limited 3 year period, as opposed to the originally proposed 5 years, in June 1989. In June 1992 the council received a further renewal request, and in November it agreed to the continued use of the site as a prison until November 2002. Another 10 year renewal request was lodged in June 2002, and because the council objected in August 2002, the request was referred to the Scottish Executive
for a decision, with a further 10 year extension granted in June 2003.
dormitory-style units linked by internal corridors and Davidson House, a temporary, pre-fabricated building. The corridors linking the dormitories were narrow and did not permit good access. Some investment took place, with the partial refurbishment of seven dormitories in the mid-1980s. The accommodation was communal and offered little privacy. It housed approximately 300 prisoners at any one time.
had overruled the initial objection by East Dunbartonshire
Council for the prison to be totally rebuilt to modern standards under a Private Finance Initiative. However a review by the Scottish Government called for the original plans to be re-evaluated.
The subsequent tendering process, resulted in Carillion being selected as contractor for the new publicly funded prison in May 2009. The replacement prison on completion will be three times the size of the old prison, capable of accommodating 700 inmates with 300 staff in a medium-security facility. Construction on the new prison began in February 2010 and is due for completion in early 2012. Whilst the old prison was operated for low-category prisoners with serving sentences of less than 36 months. The SPS said that the new HMP Low Moss, in common with all new prisons, was built to take the highest category of prisoner as standard.
and MOT testing centre from the late 1960s, and a Golf Driving range
, which was constructed on the northeastern part of the former base. A Department of Health and Social Security
Homeless Resettlement Unit, known as "the Spike" also used part of the former RAF Bishopbriggs site until its closure in March 1996.
Bishopbriggs
Bishopbriggs is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. The area was once part of the historic parish of Cadder - originally lands granted by King William the Lion to the Bishop of Glasgow, Jocelin, in 1180. It was later part of the county of Lanarkshire and subsequently an independent burgh from...
, East Dunbartonshire
East Dunbartonshire
This article is about the East Dunbartonshire council area of Scotland. See also East Dunbartonshire .East Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders onto the north-west of the City of Glasgow. It contains many of the suburbs of Glasgow as well as containing many of...
; near Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It had been operated by the Scottish Prison Service
Scottish Prison Service
The Scottish Prison Service is an executive agency of the Scottish Government tasked with managing prisons in Scotland...
as a prison since 1968 and was for low-category prisoners who had sentences of less than 36 months to serve. It has been closed for redevelopment since 28 May 2007, with an order made for its formal closure on 7 July 2007.
RAF Bishopbriggs
Originally a World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-era RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Barrage balloon
Barrage balloon
A barrage balloon is a large balloon tethered with metal cables, used to defend against low-level aircraft attack by damaging the aircraft on collision with the cables, or at least making the attacker's approach more difficult. Some versions carried small explosive charges that would be pulled up...
depot, known as RAF Bishopbriggs, constructed in 1939, base of No.18 (Balloon) Squadron and No.15 Maintenance Unit. It was also used as an overnight 'transit' camp for other RAF Units being transferred from the south of England to the north of Scotland. After WW2, RAF Bishopbriggs was utilised as a training school for the Royal Military Police
Royal Military Police
The Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...
for a time. Low Moss was first used by the Scottish Prison Service
Scottish Prison Service
The Scottish Prison Service is an executive agency of the Scottish Government tasked with managing prisons in Scotland...
as a training school between 1964 and 1970. There was a break in this use between 1966 and 1968 when training reverted to Barlinnie Prison.
Conversion to Prison
In September 1968, the former RAF camp was initially converted into a temporary, low security male prison. The planning permission restricted the sentence length and category of prisoner, and it set an eventual closure date of the temporary prison for December 1974. An extension of time until 1986 was sought in December 1981, to allow closure of Low Moss once ShottsShotts
Shotts is a small rural town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located almost halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh . As of the 2001 census, the population was 8,235...
Prison had been refurbished. Strathkelvin
Strathkelvin
Strathkelvin is the strath of the River Kelvin in west central Scotland, close to the city of Glasgow. The name Strathkelvin was formerly used for one of nineteen local government districts in the Strathclyde region of Scotland.-District :The district of Strathkelvin was formed by the Local...
District Council agreed to that extension in January 1982.
A further year was requested in February 1988, but in July the council objected to that request and sought a public local inquiry, after which the council approved a limited 3 year period, as opposed to the originally proposed 5 years, in June 1989. In June 1992 the council received a further renewal request, and in November it agreed to the continued use of the site as a prison until November 2002. Another 10 year renewal request was lodged in June 2002, and because the council objected in August 2002, the request was referred to the Scottish Executive
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
for a decision, with a further 10 year extension granted in June 2003.
Accommodation
The prison was of wooden, single-storey construction, and the accommodation comprised 11 Nissen hutNissen hut
A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel, a variant of which was used extensively during World War II.-Description:...
dormitory-style units linked by internal corridors and Davidson House, a temporary, pre-fabricated building. The corridors linking the dormitories were narrow and did not permit good access. Some investment took place, with the partial refurbishment of seven dormitories in the mid-1980s. The accommodation was communal and offered little privacy. It housed approximately 300 prisoners at any one time.
Closure and Reconstruction
In early January 2007, it was announced that the Scottish ExecutiveScottish Executive
The Scottish Government is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was established in 1999 as the Scottish Executive, from the extant Scottish Office, and the term Scottish Executive remains its legal name under the Scotland Act 1998...
had overruled the initial objection by East Dunbartonshire
East Dunbartonshire
This article is about the East Dunbartonshire council area of Scotland. See also East Dunbartonshire .East Dunbartonshire is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders onto the north-west of the City of Glasgow. It contains many of the suburbs of Glasgow as well as containing many of...
Council for the prison to be totally rebuilt to modern standards under a Private Finance Initiative. However a review by the Scottish Government called for the original plans to be re-evaluated.
The subsequent tendering process, resulted in Carillion being selected as contractor for the new publicly funded prison in May 2009. The replacement prison on completion will be three times the size of the old prison, capable of accommodating 700 inmates with 300 staff in a medium-security facility. Construction on the new prison began in February 2010 and is due for completion in early 2012. Whilst the old prison was operated for low-category prisoners with serving sentences of less than 36 months. The SPS said that the new HMP Low Moss, in common with all new prisons, was built to take the highest category of prisoner as standard.
Other Uses
Part of the former RAF Bishopbriggs site has also been used as a Large goods vehicleLarge Goods Vehicle
A large goods vehicle , is the European Union term for any truck with a gross combination mass of over...
and MOT testing centre from the late 1960s, and a Golf Driving range
Driving range
A driving range is an area where golfers can practice their swing. It can also be a recreational activity itself for amateur golfers or when enough time for a full game is not available. Many golf courses have a driving range attached and they are also found as stand-alone facilities, especially...
, which was constructed on the northeastern part of the former base. A Department of Health and Social Security
Department of Health and Social Security
The Department of Health and Social Security was a ministry of the British government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Social Services.-History:...
Homeless Resettlement Unit, known as "the Spike" also used part of the former RAF Bishopbriggs site until its closure in March 1996.