Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Streatham and Croydon North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will list the courts and tribunals that his Department has closed in England and Wales since 2010.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
The table below provides a list of all courts and tribunals which have closed since 2010. The table does not include integrations, which involve the movement of or merging of services into another existing HMCTS location in the same local area.
The decision to close any court is not taken lightly, it only happens following full public consultation and only when effective access to justice can be maintained. Courts that have closed were either underused, dilapidated or too close to one another.
Court or Tribunal closed since 2010 |
Aberdare County Court |
Aberdare Magistrates' Court |
Abergavenny Magistrates' Court |
Abertillery Magistrates' Court |
Accrington County Court |
Accrington Magistrates' Court |
Acton Magistrates' Court |
Alnwick Magistrates' Court |
Alton Magistrates' Court |
Amersham Magistrates' Court |
Ammanford Magistrates' Court |
Andover Magistrates' Court |
Ashford County Court |
Ashford Magistrates' Court |
Aylesbury Magistrates' and County Court |
Balham Youth Court Magistrates' |
Banbury Magistrates’ and County Court |
Barking & Dagenham Magistrates' Court |
Barnstaple Magistrates' and County Court (Crown part only) |
Barry Magistrates' Court |
Basildon Acorn House - Basildon Tribunal |
Batley & Dewsbury Magistrates' Court |
Bicester Magistrates' Court |
Bingley (Keighley) Magistrates' Court |
Birmingham Magistrates' Youth Court |
Bishop Auckland County Court |
Bishop Auckland Magistrates' Court |
Blackfriars Crown Court |
Blandford Forum Magistrates' Court |
Blaydon Magistrates' Court |
Bolton Combined Court Centre (County Part Only) |
Bournemouth Magistrates' Court |
Bow County Court |
Bracknell Magistrates' Court |
Brecon Law Courts Magistrates’ |
Brentford Magistrates' Court |
Bridgend Law Courts Magistrates' |
Bridgwater Magistrates' Court |
Burton Upon Trent County Court |
Burton upon Trent Magistrates' Court |
Bury Magistrates' & County Court |
Bury St Edmunds Crown & Magistrates' Court |
Buxton Magistrates' & County Court |
Caerphilly Magistrates' Court |
Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court |
Camborne Magistrates' Court |
Cardigan Magistrates' Court |
Carmarthen Law Courts (The Guildhall) Magistrates' Court |
Cheltenham County Court |
Cheltenham Rivershill House - Cheltenham Tribunal |
Chepstow County Court |
Chepstow Magistrates' Court |
Chichester Combined Court |
Chichester Magistrates' Court |
Chippenham Magistrates' & Civil Court |
Chorley County Court |
Chorley Magistrates' Court |
Cirencester Magistrates' Court |
Coalville Magistrates' Court |
Colchester County Court |
Coleford Magistrates' Court |
Consett County Court |
Consett Magistrates' Court |
Corby Magistrates' Court |
Cromer Magistrates' Court |
Dartford Magistrates' Court |
Daventry Magistrates' Court |
Denbigh Magistrates' Court |
Dewsbury County Court |
Didcot Magistrates' Court |
Dolgellau Crown & Magistrates' Court |
Dorchester Crown Court (Weymouth & Dorchester Combined) |
Dover Magistrates' Court |
Eastbourne Magistrates' & County Court |
Ely Magistrates' Court |
Epping Magistrates' Court |
Epsom County Court |
Epsom Magistrates' Court |
Epsom Tribunal |
Evesham County Court |
Fareham Magistrates' Court |
Feltham Magistrates' Court |
Fleetwood Magistrates' Court |
Flint Magistrates' Court |
Frome Magistrates' Court |
Gloucester Magistrates' Court |
Goole County Court |
Goole Magistrates' Court |
Gosforth Magistrates' Court |
Grantham County Court |
Grantham Magistrates' Court |
Gravesend County Court |
Grays Magistrates' Court |
Greenwich Magistrates' Court |
Guisborough (East Langbaurgh) Magistrates' Court |
Halesowen Magistrates' Court |
Halifax County Court |
Halifax Magistrates' Court (Calderdale) |
Hammersmith Magistrates' and County Court (County Court Only) |
Hammersmith Magistrates' Court |
Haringey Magistrates' Court |
Harlow County Court |
Harlow Magistrates' Court |
Harrow Magistrates' Court |
Hartlepool Magistrates' & County Court |
Haywards Heath County Court |
Hemel Hempstead Magistrates' Court |
Hinckley Magistrates' Court |
Hitchin County Court |
Holyhead Magistrates' Court |
Honiton Magistrates' Court |
Houghton-Le-Spring Magistrates' Court |
Huntingdon County Court |
Ilford County Court |
Ilkeston Magistrates' Court |
Keighley County Court |
Kendal Magistrates' & County Court |
Kettering County Court |
Kettering Magistrates' Court |
Kidderminster County Court |
King's Lynn County Court |
Kingston-upon-Thames Magistrates' Court |
Knowsley Magistrates' Court |
Knutsford Crown Court |
Lambeth County Court |
Lewes Magistrates' Court |
Liskeard Magistrates' Court |
Llandovery Magistrates' Court |
Llangefni Civil and Family Court |
Llangefni Magistrates' Court |
Llwynypia Magistrates' Court |
Lowestoft County Court |
Lowestoft Magistrates' Court |
Ludlow County Court |
Ludlow Magistrates' Court |
Lyndhurst Magistrates' Court |
Macclesfield County Court |
Macclesfield Magistrates' Court |
Maidenhead Magistrates' Court |
Market Drayton Magistrates' Court |
Market Harborough Magistrates' Court |
Melton Mowbray County Court |
Melton Mowbray Magistrates' Court |
Mid-Sussex (Haywards Heath) Magistrates' Court |
Morpeth & Berwick County Court |
Neath and Port Talbot Civil and Family Court |
Neath Magistrates' Court |
Newark County Court |
Newark Magistrates' Court |
Newbury County Court |
North Liverpool Community Justice Centre |
Northallerton Magistrates' Court |
Northwich County Court |
Northwich Magistrates' Court |
Oldham County Court |
Oldham Magistrates' Court |
Ormskirk Magistrates' Court |
Oswestry County Court |
Oswestry Magistrates' Court |
Penrith County Court |
Penrith Magistrates' Court |
Penzance County Court |
Penzance Magistrates' Court |
Pocock Street Tribunals Hearing Centre |
Pontefract County Court |
Pontefract Magistrates' Court |
Pontypool County Court |
Pontypridd Magistrates' Court |
Poole County Court |
Prestatyn Magistrates' Court |
Pwllheli Magistrates' Court |
Rawtenstall County Court |
Rawtenstall Magistrates' Court |
Redditch County Court |
Redhill Magistrates' & Reigate County Court |
Retford Magistrates' Court |
Rhyl County Court |
Richmond upon Thames Magistrates' Court |
Rochdale Magistrates' Court |
Rotherham Magistrates' & County Court |
Rugby County Court |
Rugby Magistrates' Court |
Runcorn (Halton) Magistrates' Court |
Runcorn County Court |
Rutland Magistrates' Court |
Salford County Court |
Salford Magistrates' Court (FPC) |
Sandwell Magistrates' Court |
Scunthorpe Magistrates' & County Court |
Selby Magistrates' Court |
Shrewsbury County Court |
Shrewsbury Magistrates' Court |
Sittingbourne Magistrates' Court |
Skegness County Court |
Skegness Magistrates' Court |
Solihull Magistrates' Court |
Southport (North Sefton) Magistrates' Court |
Southport County Court |
Spalding Magistrates' Court |
St Albans Crown & County Court (County part only) |
St Helens Magistrates' Court |
Stafford Magistrates' Court |
Stoke on Trent Magistrates' Court |
Stourbridge County Court |
Stratford Upon Avon County Court |
Stroud Magistrates' Court |
Sudbury Magistrates' Court |
Sutton Coldfield Magistrates' Court |
Sutton Magistrates' Court |
Swaffham Magistrates' Court |
Tameside Magistrates' & County Court (County part only) |
Tamworth County Court |
Tamworth Magistrates' Court |
Thetford Magistrates' Court |
Torquay Magistrates' Court |
Totnes Magistrates' Court |
Tottenham Magistrates' Court |
Towcester Magistrates' Court |
Tower Bridge Magistrates' Court |
Trafford Magistrates' Court & Altrincham County Court |
Trowbridge County Court |
Tunbridge Wells County Court |
Tynedale (Hexham) Magistrates' Court |
Wakefield & Pontefract Magistrates' Court |
Waltham Forest Magistrates' Court |
Wantage Magistrates' Court |
Warrington Combined Court (County Part Only) |
Watford Magistrates' Court |
Wellingborough County Court |
West Berkshire Magistrates' Court (Newbury) |
West Bromwich Magistrates' Court |
Weston Super Mare Magistrates' Court |
Whitehaven County Court |
Whitehaven Magistrates' Court |
Wimborne Magistrates' Court |
Wisbech Magistrates' Court |
Witney Magistrates' Court |
Woking Magistrates' Court |
Woolwich County Court |
Woolwich Magistrates' Court |
Worksop County Court |
Worksop Magistrates' Court |
Wrexham Rhyd Broughton - Wrexham Tribunal |
Yate Magistrates' Court (North Avon) |
Between 1997 and 2009, 125 magistrates’ courts and 24 county courts were closed. In October 2009 the closure of one more county court was announced, and a consultation was published on the closure of 20 magistrates’ courts and one county court.
Aug. 08 2022
Source Page: Forensic science: draft statutory code of practiceFound: administration of justice , not only to identify offenders and provide expert evidence to the courts
Aug. 08 2022
Source Page: Forensic science: draft statutory code of practiceFound: administration of justice , not only to identify offenders and provide expert evidence to the courts
Mentions:
1: Simon Clarke (CON - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland) the Lord Chancellor powers, with the concurrence of the Lord Chief Justice, to reinstate retired magistrates - Speech Link
2: Simon Clarke (CON - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland) As she rightly says, we must ensure that we can deal with the backlog in our courts, which has accrued - Speech Link
3: Simon Clarke (CON - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland) scheme members beyond 31 March 2022, which could perpetuate the discrimination identified by the courts - Speech Link
Written Evidence Dec. 14 2021
Inquiry: Reducing the backlog in criminal courtsFound: Courts act as a hub for legal firms and businesses, so restoring more local courts may also help drive
Apr. 04 2022
Source Page: Two years on: a thank youFound: Brighton and Hove 20 Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 21 Kensington and Chelsea 22 Torbay 23 Hartlepool
Mentions:
1: Alex Cunningham (LAB - Stockton North) Is he content for magistrates to be parachuted into local courts from across the country or for cases - Speech Link
2: James Cartlidge (CON - South Suffolk) The position of the magistrates courts is far more up to speed than it was, although further work needs - Speech Link
3: James Cartlidge (CON - South Suffolk) However, there are a number of advantages in allowing magistrates to work across courts, including the - Speech Link
4: James Cartlidge (CON - South Suffolk) I hope that is not the direction we are taking.On magistrates courts and other courts, we must look at - Speech Link
Apr. 01 2022
Source Page: Forensic Science Regulator draft statutory Code v.2 for commentFound: the administration of justice , not only to identify offenders and provide expert evidence to the courts
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which courts that have been closed since 2010 have yet to be sold; and what the cost to the Government has been of each of those court premises since they were closed.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The table below provides a list of former court buildings which are closed and unsold. Three of these buildings are currently being used as Nightingale courts as a temporary measure as we recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
Court | Notes | Holding Costs since closure |
Chichester Magistrates’ Court and Combined Court | Operating as a temporary Nightingale court since 6 April 2021. | £556,242 |
Chorley Magistrates Court |
| £275,984 |
Exeter Magistrates Court |
| £91,784 |
Fleetwood Magistrates Court | Operating as a temporary Nightingale court since 24 August 2020. | £123,041 |
Harlow Magistrates Court |
| £153,362 |
Hartlepool Magistrates Court | We expect these costs to reduce by c.£200,000 due to a service charge rebate. | £476,193 |
Maidenhead Magistrates Court |
| £391,241 |
Scunthorpe Magistrates and County Court |
| £432,597 |
Telford County Court | Operating as a temporary Nightingale court since 17 July 2020. | £252,115 |
Holding costs include utilities, rates, maintenance and security, and with the exception of the Nightingale courts, are from the closure of the court until 31st August 2021. For the Nightingale courts, holding costs are calculated until their date of temporary reopening.
We assessed all unsold former court buildings as potential Nightingale courts, but due to condition issues and operational limitations, only the three buildings noted were suitable.
The decision to close any court is not taken lightly. It only happens following full public consultation and only when effective access to justice can be maintained. Courts that have closed were either underused, dilapidated or too close to another court.
Jan. 14 2022
Source Page: Forensic Science Regulator: draft core statutory code for commentFound: the administration of justice , not only to identify offenders and provide expert evidence to the courts