Courts to close across Yorkshire as part of national reforms

UNDERUSED and poor quality court and tribunal buildings, including five in Yorkshire, are being recommended for closure by Courts Minister Shailesh Vara.

 

Two courts in Halifax, and one each in Rotherham, Scunthorpe and Wakefield form part of the 91-strong national list. A further five courts – two in Doncaster, plus Harrogate, Hull and Sheffield – will be integrated into other court buildings nearby.

 

The buildings being consulted on represent 16% of hearing rooms across the estate in England and Wales, which are, on average, used for only a third of their available time, the report says. That is equivalent to fewer than two out of five days in a week. 

 

The majority of these courts are not used for at least two thirds of their available time, and one in three are not used three quarters of the time. 

 

Shailesh Vara said: “We are reforming the courts and tribunal service so that it meets the needs of modern day users. 

 

“Access to justice is not just about attending court. As we bring in digital technology for better and more efficient access to justice, fewer people will need to physically be in a court.

 

“This means that we will need fewer buildings, and with many already underused and in poor quality, now is a good time to review the estate.”

 

Natalie Ceeney, Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service chief executive, commented: “Our estate is a significant asset. We currently have a number of surplus buildings and this consultation puts forward proposals on their future.

“As we modernise our service so that fewer people will need to attend a court in person, spending money on unsuitable or rarely used buildings is not good value for money for taxpayers.”

 

Alternative ways to access services will include using modern technology such as video conferencing to give evidence, and using other local civic and public buildings, such as town halls, for hearings.