UPDATE: Council leader angered at proposed closure of Grantham Magistrates’ Court
Grantham Magistrates’ Court could be closed under new plans announced by the Justice Secretary Michael Gove today, Thursday July 16.
A consultation has been launched on plans to close 91 courts across the country, as part of Government plans to reform courts and tribunals in England and Wales.
The consultation covers the proposed closure of 57 magistrates, 19 county, two crown and nine combined courts plus four tribunal hearing centres.
In response, Coun Martin Hill, Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We will be responding to this consultation to raise our concerns and to highlight how important the magistrates’ courts are to the communities of Lincolnshire.
“Magistrates’ courts play a key role in our local criminal justice system - in reducing offending rates and making sure justice is delivered locally.
“Local criminal justice is about having a fair trial for those alleged offenders in their own community. Taking these two courts away would mean that they will be tried many miles away from their own communities. This would then have a detrimental impact on the victims of crime.
“If these Magistrates’ courts close, there would also be an economic impact on the county. The courts employ many people and the associated businesses contribute a significant amount to the local economy.
“We also want to make it clear what while any changes might represent potential savings to the Ministry of Justice, it will certainly mean additional costs for everyone else- including our already squeezed local police force.
“We understand that money savings need to be made, but we would seek reassurances about how local justice would continue to be delivered in Grantham.”
The consultation closes on October 8 and can be viewed in full here on the Ministry of Justice website (as a PDF).
List of courts to be closed:
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
Yorkshire/North
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
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St Albans County Court
Tunbridge Wells County Court and Family Court
Watford Magistrates’ Court and Family Court
West Berkshire (Newbury) Magistrates’ Court
In addition to proposed closures in this consultation the following integrations will be
taking place:
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 Tribuna l(Eliot House)integrated within Norwich Magistrates’ Court
Southend County Court and Family Court to be integrated within Southend Crown and
Magistrates’ Court