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)
37 Readers' comments