A NEW company is to be formed to further progress an ambitious scheme to redevelop a former prison.

Northallerton prison closed two years ago and has been standing empty – on a prime 3.4-acrre site in the town centre – ever since.

In April this year Hambleton District Council bought the building from the Ministry of Justice for £1.4m and plans to develop the site for community and commercial purposes.

Since the purchase the authority has been holding a series of tours of the building to allow local people a rare glimpse of what life was like behind bars.

However those tours came to an end last week – paving the way for the redevelopment.

The council is now creating a public/private sector company to push the scheme forward and has begun planning for demolition work and the recycling of buildings and equipment within the walls.

Council leader Mark Robson said: “After agreement with our insurers we were able to show 600 members of key community groups inside the prison – as well as a further 1,200 members of the public who went on one of our guided tours.”

He added: “We know that some people missed out on these tours – so we are putting together a virtual tour which will be available on the council’s website later this month. It will have the benefit of taking viewers to places not accessible to everyone!”

An exhibition has also been mounted at the authority’s Stone Cross headquarters with images and panels about the history of the prison.

* The prison’s history dates back to 1783 when it was the North Riding’s county jail. It was latterly served as a young offenders institution.