A COUNCIL chief told of his relief last night as the government prepared to abandon plans to build a giant £400m “Titan” prison on the edge of Merseyside.

Justice secretary Jack Straw was expected to tell MPs his flagship proposals for three 2,500-place jails are dead, as the recession triggers a painful squeeze on public spending.

The Daily Post revealed last year talks were under way to build one Titan on the £1bn Omega business park development at Warrington, close to junction 8 of the M62 motorway.

Some 500 people packed a public meeting to attack the idea and Warrington Borough Council voiced its opposition.

But ministers could have used new planning rules to force it through.

Last night, Cllr Ian Marks, the council’s Liberal Democrat leader, said he was delighted Mr Straw was set to retreat given the scale of anger locally.

The Justice Secretary is expected to tell MPs he now intends to build five smaller, 1,500-place jails. Two will go ahead immediately – with their locations revealed as early as today.

The spacious Omega site would still seem to fit the MoJ’s criteria that prisons should be within one hour’s journey time of major courts and close to major roads.

Furthermore the recession has dented hopes of attracting firms to a development once expected to create 25,000 jobs over 25 years and a prison would provide badly-needed revenue.