New prison in Anjou. The prefect reassures the elected officials during the phased renovation.

The construction of a new prison in Loire-Authion, on the outskirts of Angers, announced in 2021, is raising questions and concerns. The prefect of the department met on November 9 with local elected officials and the public real estate agency for justice to discuss the current status of the project.

While the project for a new prison in the Loire-Authion and Trélazé area of the Angers region was approved back in 2021, its implementation continues to raise concerns among the residents of these municipalities. Even this Wednesday, during a meeting of the Loire-Authion municipal council, the mayor listed a number of demands for compensation related to land use and safety. The president of the Angers Loire Métropole, Jean-Marc Verchère, also expressed his concerns, particularly emphasizing his desire to include direct access to the prison from Road 347 in the project.

Philippe Chopin, the new prefect of Maine-et-Loire, met on November 9 with interested elected officials for consultations, aiming to reassure and outline a plan of action. "This is a project for the territory that cannot be carried out without the involvement of elected officials," he emphasized. The creation of a new roundabout with direct access from Road 347 has already been approved. The project will be managed by the public real estate agency of justice (APIJ) and the department. A new Public Utility Announcement (PUA) will be submitted next December and will include this new road service. "It will be completed before the construction of the prison begins to avoid causing inconvenience to residents," assured Gilem Blanchard, Deputy General Director of APIJ.

“This is a real satisfaction,” commented Jean-Jacques Prono, the mayor of Loire-Ottain, after the meeting. These works will be funded by the state.

The prison will open in 2027: public research, related work, and environmental studies will be conducted in 2024. Construction work will begin in the second half of 2025. The prison can accommodate 850 inmates (790 men and 60 women) and will be the sixth facility of its kind in France. It will create over 500 jobs, including about 400 for guards. The total cost, fully covered by the state, is estimated at 230 million euros. Between 350 and 650 people will be employed on the construction site during the most intensive work periods. Additionally, 90,000 hours of economic integration will be carried out there.