Work starts on £56m refurb of HMP Liverpool

ISG is delivering the upgrade of the prison in the lead-up to its transition from a Category B facility to a Category C.

Moving to Category C means the inmates of HMP Liverpool are of lesser security risk, with most prisoners receiving skills training opportunities that will help them upon their release.

Construction, engineering, and fit-out specialist ISG has been working at HMP Liverpool for the past six years, improving the accommodation blocks. This latest endeavour, which focuses more on sustainability ambitions and maintenance, began in mid-February.

Building upon designs from AHR Architects, Bland & Swift, and Waldeck Consulting, ISG’s £56m work programme includes upgrades to the prison’s electrical infrastructure, installation of efficient boilers, restoration of all the wings, and the building of a new workshop. The company plans to finish the project in autumn 2026.

The HMP Liverpool project comes around the same time as ISG’s work on another Ministry of Justice scheme – building new blocks at HMP Guys Marsh in Dorset. Both the HMP Liverpool and HMP Guys Marsh jobs were procured through the Crown Commercial Service Framework.

Alistair McNeil, ISG’s sector director, said: “The significant expansion and investment in the UK’s prison estate is a major undertaking, and the MoJ should be recognised for its bold and innovative approach to the modernisation and expansion of its estate.

“Through our work with the MoJ and other contractor partners, working across the framework, we are consistently delivering better-built outcomes, benefiting the prison population and wider society,” he continued.

“Our projects at HMP Guys Marsh and HMP Liverpool not only address a need for prison places but will also support government carbon reduction targets, delivering buildings that cost less to run and maintain in the future.”