Second round of bids opened

Having turned down Reading Borough Council’s March bid for Reading Gaol, the Ministry of Justice has opened a new round of bids. Reading Borough Council’s previous bid of £2.6m remains on the table.

We don’t expect to hear the outcome of the bids, which end in August, for several months, but continue to campaign for an arts and cultural centre.

Reading Prison: Jail back up for sale despite arts hub campaign

Reading council says the Ministry of Justice had insisted its £2.6m offer remained on the table.

Reading Gaol: The battle to save Oscar Wilde’s prison cell

Moves to make the jail a public space have stalled. Could it yet become a ‘gay landmark’?