The Ministry of Justice today proposed the closure of 91 courts and tribunals across England and Wales.

In a statement published today, justice minister Shailesh Vara said the government will consult on the shutting of nearly one-fifth of the courts estate.

He also announced the further integration of 31 courts and tribunals in England and Wales.

It is understood the plans include the closure of 57 magistrates’ courts, 19 county courts and two Crown courts. The integration will involve two magistrates' courts, 11 county courts, two Crown courts, 15 tribunal hearing centres and one combined court.

In total, 257 magistrates' court rooms would go, representing 23% of the current total. A further 21 Crown court rooms would shut, equating to 4% of the current total.

Vara said: ‘The estate costs taxpayers around half a billion pounds each year, and at present, it is underused.

‘Last year over a third of all courts and tribunals were empty for more than 50% of their available hearing time.’

The proposal is for buildings which represent 16% of hearing rooms across the estate which are used, on average, for a third of their available time.

Vara said more than 95% of citizens will be able to reach their required court within an hour, and 83% would be able reach a tribunal in that time.

The government will also consider using civil and other public buildings, such as town halls, to ensure proceedings can be carried out in more rural locations.

The closures were trailed by justice secretary Michael Gove in a speech last month – his first since coming to office. They are similar in scale to a closure programme announced in December 2010 which confirmed the shutting of 141 courts.

In its impact assessment, the MoJ says the disposal value of all the freehold buildings listed for closure is estimated at £35m.

Assuming the closure of 115 courts, the assessment says plans will save £30m a year by 2020 – including £6m a year in staff costs. The document says some staff will take voluntary or compulsory redundancy, while others will transfer to remaining sites.

The Public and Commercial Services union said four in 10 courthouses in England and Wales will have closed since 2010 if the plans go ahead.

The union said it will challenge the MoJ's method for calculating underuse of courtrooms, and argued that other buildings such as town halls will not have adequate facilities.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: 'We do not believe it is in the interests of justice to leave our communities without without easy access to courthouses and tribunals.'

 

The courts and tribunals proposed for closure are:

(London)

Bow County Court

Feltham Magistrates' Court

Greenwich Magistrates' Court

Hammersmith County Court

Lambeth County Court

Pocock Street Tribunal Hearing Centre

Richmond-upon-Thames Magistrates' Court

Tottenham Magistrates' Court

Waltham Forest Magistrates' Court

Woolwich County Court

(Midlands)

Birmingham Youth Court

Burton-upon-Trent Magistrates' Court

Buxton Magistrates' and County Court

Corby Magistrates' Court

Grantham Magistrates' Court

Hinckley Magistrates' Court

Kettering County Court

Kettering Magistrates' Court

Sandwell Magistrates' Court

Shrewsbury Magistrates' Court

Skegness Magistrates' Court

Solihull Magistrates' Court

Stafford Magistrates' Court

Worksop Magistrates' Court

(North-east)

Consett Magistrates' Court

Halifax County Court and Family Court

Halifax (Calderdale) Magistrates' and Family Court

Hartlepool Magistrates' Court and County Court

Morpeth County Court

Rotherham Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court

Scunthorpe Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court

Wakefield Magistrates' Court

(North-west)

Accrington County Court

Accrington Magistrates' Court

Bolton County Court and Family Court

Bury Magistrates' Court and County Court

Kendal Magistrates' Court and County Court

Macclesfield County Court

Macclesfield Magistrates' Court

Oldham County Court

Oldham Magistrates' Court

Ormskirk Magistrates' Court and Family Court

Runcorn (Halton) Magistrates' Court

St Helens Magistrates' Court and County Court

Stockport Magistrates' Court and County Court

Tameside County Court

Trafford Magistrates' Court and Altrincham County Court

Warrington County Court

West Cumbria Magistrates' Court and County Court

(South-east)

Aylesbury Magistrates’ Court, County Court and Family Court

Basildon Social Security and Child Support Tribunal (Acorn House)

Bedford and Mid Beds Magistrates’ Court and Family Court and Bedford County Court and Family Court

Bicester Magistrates’ Court and Family Court

Bury St. Edmunds Magistrates’ Court and Family Court and Bury St. Edmunds Crown Court

Chichester Combined Court (Crown and County)

Chichester Magistrates’ Court

Colchester County Court and Family Court

Colchester County Court Offices

Dartford Magistrates’ Court

Dover Magistrates’ Court

Eastbourne Magistrates’ Court, County Court and Family Court

Harlow Magistrates' Court

Kings Lynn County Court and Family Court

Lowestoft Magistrates' Court, County Court and Family Court

Redhill Magistrates' Court and Family Court and Reigate County Court and Family Court

St Albans County Court

Tunbridge Wells County Court and Family Court

Watford Magistrates’ Court and Family Court

West Berkshire (Newbury) Magistrates’ Court

(South-west)

Barnstaple Crown Court

Bath Magistrates’ Court, County Court and Family Court or North Avon (Yate) Magistrates’ Court

Bournemouth Magistrates’ Court

Cheltenham Rivershill House Tribunal

Chippenham Magistrates’ Court, Civil Court and Family Court

Dorchester Crown Court

Fareham Magistrates’ Court

Gloucester Magistrates’ Court

Stroud Magistrates’ Court

Torquay Magistrates’ Court

(Wales)

Brecon Law Courts

Bridgend Law Courts

Carmarthen Civil, Family, Tribunal and Probate Hearing Centre

Carmarthen Law Courts (The Guildhall)

Dolgellau Crown and Magistrates’ Court

Holyhead Magistrates’ Court

Llangefni Civil and Family Court

Neath and Port Talbot Civil and Family Court

Pontypridd Magistrates’ Court

Prestatyn Magistrates’ Court

Wrexham Tribunal (Rhyd Broughton)

 

Buildings earmarked for integration:

(Midlands)

Chesterfield County Court to be integrated within Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court  (Chesterfield Justice Centre)

Chesterfield Tribunal (St Mary’s Court) to be integrated within Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court (Chesterfield Justice Centre)

Hereford County Court and Family Court to be integrated within Hereford Magistrates’ Court

Telford County Court and Family Courtto be integrated within Telford Magistrates’ Court

(North-east)

Doncaster County Court to be integrated within Doncaster Magistrates’ Court

Doncaster Tribunal (Portland Place) to be integrated within Doncaster Crown Court

Durham Elvet House Tribunal to be integrated within other tribunal sites within the County Durham estate, including Durham County and Family Court

East Parade Sheffield Tribunal to be integrated within Sheffield Combined Court

Harrogate County Court to be integrated within Harrogate Magistrates’ Court

Middlesbrough Tribunal Hearing Centre to be integrated within Teesside Magistrates’ Court

Quayside House Newcastle Tribunal to be integrated within North Shields (Kings Court) Tribunal

Wilberforce Court (Hull Employment Tribunal Centre) to be integrated within Hull Magistrates’ Court and Hull Combined Court

(North-west)

Bolton Magistrates’ Court to be integrated within Bolton Combined Court

Lancaster County Court to be integrated within Lancaster Magistrates’ Court

Warrington Magistrates’ Court to be integrated within Warrington Combined Court

(South-east)

Aylesbury Crown Court to be integrated within Aylesbury Magistrates’

Court, County Court and Family Hearing Centre building

Bury St Edmunds Employment Tribunal (Government Buildings) to be integrated within Bury St Edmunds County Court

Cambridge Social Security and Child Support Tribunal (Eastbrook House) – Cambridge Tribunal to be integrated within Cambridge Civil Justice centre and Cambridge Magistrates’ Court

Cambridge Residential Property Tribunal Service to be integrated within Cambridge Civil Justice Centre

Norwich Employment Tribunal (Eliot House) integrated within Norwich Magistrates’ Court

Southend County Court and Family Court to be integrated within Southend Crown and Magistrates’ Court

(South-west)

Aldershot and Farnham County Court to be integrated within Aldershot Magistrates’ Court

Arcade Chambers (Aldershot Tribunal) to be integrated within Aldershot Magistrates’ Court

Plymouth St Catherine’s House (Plymouth Tribunal) to be integrated within Plymouth Combined and Plymouth Magistrates’ Court

Southampton Western Range and Barrack Block to be integrated within Southampton Magistrates’ Court

Taunton Blackdown House (Taunton Tribunal) to be integrated within Taunton Deane Magistrates’ Court

The Crescent Centre (Bristol Tribunal) to be integrated within Bristol Civil Justice Centre

Weymouth and Dorchester Combined Court offices to be integrated within Weymouth Magistrates Court

Yeovil County Court to be integrated within South Somerset and Mendip Magistrates Court (Yeovil)

(Wales)

Caernarfon Civil and Family Court to be integrated within Caernarfon Criminal Justice Centre

Swansea Crown Court (Guildhall) to be integrated within Swansea Crown Court (St Helen's Road)