Twenty-two will be relocated to other sites
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced that 86 courts and tribunals will close.
Late last year the government unveiled plans to close 91 sites across England and Wales. With today’s news it would appear very few have escaped the chop.
Of the 86 set to close, 22 will do so but continue in different government-owned buildings.
Five have, however, escaped the swinging axe of the MoJ all together. These are Bath, Carmarthen, Stockport, West Cumbria and St Helens County Court (although St Helens Magistrates’ Court will close).
With the courts’ consultation receiving 2,100 individual responses, and 13 petitions set up against the closures generating in excess of 13,000 signatures, the report announcing the news made clear that a decision to close a court was not “taken lightly”.
Here is the lengthy list of closures released by the government today:
London
Feltham Magistrates’ Court
Greenwich Magistrates’ Court
Hammersmith County Court (formerly West London 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
Corby 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
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
Oldham County Court
Oldham Magistrates’ Court
Runcorn (Halton) Magistrates’ Court
St Helens Magistrates’ Court
Tameside County Court
Trafford Magistrates’ Court and Altrincham County Court
South East
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
Chichester Magistrates’ Court
Colchester County Court and Family Court
Colchester County Court Offices
Dartford Magistrates’ Court
Dover Magistrates’ Court
Harlow Magistrates’ 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
Watford Magistrates’ Court and Family Court
West Berkshire (Newbury) Magistrates’ Court
South West
Barnstaple Crown 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
North Avon (Yate) Magistrates’ Court
Stroud Magistrates’ Court
Torquay Magistrates’ Court
Wales
Brecon Law Courts
Bridgend Law Courts
Neath and Port Talbot Civil and Family Court
Pontypridd Magistrates’ Court
Wrexham Tribunal (Rhyd Broughton)
COURTS THAT ARE CLOSING BUT WILL RELOCATE TO DIFFERENT BUILDINGS
London
Bow County Court
Lambeth County Court
Midlands
Buxton Magistrates’ Court and County Court
Grantham Magistrates’ Court
Hinckley Magistrates’ Court
North East
Consett Magistrates’ Court
North West
Kendal Magistrates’ Court and County Court*
Macclesfield County Court
Macclesfield Magistrates’ Court
Ormskirk Magistrates’ Court and Family Court
Warrington County Court
South East
Aylesbury Magistrates’ Court, County Court and Family Court
Bury St. Edmunds Magistrates’ Court and Family Court and Bury St. Edmunds Crown Court
Chichester Combined Court (Crown and County)
Eastbourne Magistrates’ Court, County Court and Family Court
Kings Lynn County Court and Family Court
Tunbridge Wells County Court and Family Court
Wales
Carmarthen Law Courts (The Guildhall)
Dolgellau Crown and Magistrates’ Court*
Holyhead Magistrates’ Court*
Llangefni Civil and Family Court
Prestatyn Magistrates’ Court