A SPECIALIST heritage developer has put the final touches to its purchase of the HMP Dorchester site.

City and Country has now legally completed the acquisition of the county town jail from the Ministry of Justice.

It is one of four prisons the company has purchased, alongside Shepton Mallet, Kingston and Gloucester jails.

Helen Moore, managing director of City and Country, said: “We are very pleased to legally complete the purchase of these four former prisons from the Ministry of Justice.

“We will now be embarking on a period of detailed public consultation, engaging with stakeholders to ensure all considerations are taken into account on how best to regenerate these historic sites.”

She continued: “It is our intention to bring these buildings back to viable and beneficial use, although as yet we have no fixed plans for the sites.

“City and Country has an excellent track record of restoring and breathing new life into some incredibly challenging buildings, and we are confident that we can deliver new schemes at each prison that not only enhance the original building, but also help to enrich its surroundings.”

News of the deal for Dorchester’s prison site was revealed shortly before Christmas last year and the final details have now been agreed.

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

City and County’s first stage of consultation will see the local community invited to feed their aspirations and wishes for the sites into the redevelopment proposals.

The developer is also investigating the option of opening up key areas of the prisons for the public to view.