Twenty West Midlands courts under closure threat
DEVELOPERS and property investors could see an influx of potential new projects after the Government announced plans to close 20 court buildings across the region.
The Ministry of Justice has opened a consultation on 157 courts in England and Wales, including nine magistrates and 11 county courts in the West Midlands.
A further 11 magistrates and six county courts are also under threat in the East Midlands.
The proposals are aimed at saving the public purse around £15.3m in running costs and £21.5m in maintenance per year.
It says that there will also be savings for other justice agencies by focusing their attendance at a single location within a community.
Courts Minister Jonathan Djanogly said: “The Government is committed to supporting local justice, enabling justice to be done and seen to be done in our communities.
“Magistrates hear the majority of criminal cases and this voluntary contribution will continue to be strongly supported by the Government as the bedrock of our justice system.
“The arrangements we have are historical and now need to be re-assessed to ask whether they properly meet the needs of communities as they are today.
“We now have the opportunity to think afresh about how we can create a more modern fit-for-purpose justice system in line with the way we live our lives today.
“Not all disputes need to be resolved in court. I want to explore whether more people can resolve their disputes in a way that leads to faster and more satisfactory solutions.”
- Her Majesty’s Court Service currently operates out of 530 courts in England and Wales and it is now consulting on the future of 103 magistrates and 54 county courts. Those possibly affected in the West Midlands are:
Magistrates’ courts:
Halesowen
Ludlow
Market Drayton
Oswestry
Rugby
Stoke-on-Trent
Sutton Coldfield
Tamworth
West Bromwich
County Courts:
Burton-upon-Trent
Evesham
Kidderminster
Ludlow
Oswestry
Redditch
Rugby
Shrewsbury
Stourbridge
Stratford-upon-Avon
Tamworth
