THE new owner of Dorchester’s historic prison has been revealed as a heritage property development company.

City & Country is the buyer for the town centre site and will be responsible for the conversion of the buildings for residential and commercial uses.

The company bid for the site in a package with Shepton Mallet, Kingston and Gloucester prisons.

Managing director of City & Country Helen Moore confirmed that contracts had been exchanged today for the property and that the community will be consulted on the plans.

West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin said he understood a contract was in the process of being agreed but he did not know the full details.

He said: “I’m glad to hear that this important site will be developed but I obviously want to see the plans before commenting further.”

The county town jail closed its doors for the final time in December last year after more than 200 years.

The Ministry of Justice confirmed in July that it had put the prison site on the market and bids were being invited.

The Dorchester Civic Society has been working with the town council in recent months to highlight the opportunity presented by the sale of the prison site and stressed the need to get the right scheme for the old Victorian jail.

A working group from the Civic Society drew up a blueprint for what they would like to see happen with the site.

The group advocated a mixed used residential development and stressed the need to preserve certain key features of the listed building and take advantage of the views from the site.

Society chairman Alan Rowley said he had checked out the City & Country website and was positive that on the surface it looked like a company capable of embracing his group’s vision for the prison.

Mr Rowley said the Civic Society and the town council would be looking to contact City & Country in the New Year to see if the organisations can help shape the development plans for the site.

He said he was also buoyed by an indication from English Heritage that City & Country was a suitable company to develop heritage buildings.

Managing director of City & Country Helen Moore said: “We are a developer that specialises in the restoration of historic, listed buildings.

“With listed buildings, we always look at the long term and beneficial ways we can ensure it is protected.

“It could be residential, commercial or a hotel – what we will do in the next couple of months is engage in community consultation events where we let local people know what we do and ask what they want and take that on board.”

She added: “[The prison] is fantastic and it deserves to be used for beneficial use and not go back to wrack and ruin.

“My team are very much looking forward to looking at all the buildings and seeing how we can breathe new life into them.”

Completion of the sale is expected in February.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "We have exchanged contracts on the former Dorchester, Shepton Mallet, Kingston and Gloucester prison sites.

"We have worked with a number of organisations, including local authorities and English Heritage, and always seek the best value for the taxpayer.”