Battle to save courthouse gets underway

Cases will 'endlessly fail' under closure plans

CRIMINAL cases will “endlessly fail” if Government plans to close Newbury’s courthouse are realised.

The claim was made by Newbury MP Richard Benyon in his consultation response to the Ministry of Justice plans to mothball the building.

He repeated his accusation that: “West Berkshire (Newbury) Magistrates’ Court has been intentionally run down so as to realise this outcome.”

The court was previously threatened with closure in 2010 and only saved by a determined campaign.

But since then it has been reduced to “satellite” status, with weekly opening times slashed from five days to one; its security service removed and custody cases moved elsewhere.

Even routine West Berkshire cases have been increasingly switched to Reading, Slough and Maidenhead.

Then came the new closure plans, announced by courts minister Shailesh Vara on July 15.

He said Newbury courthouse, in Mill Lane, was among 57 “underused, poorly maintained” magistrates’ courts, 19 county courts, two crown courts, four tribunal centres and nine combined courts under threat.

Mr Benyon said in his consultation response: “Any future closure will result in victims of crime who live to the west of Newbury, not to mention council officials, solicitors and police officers, undertaking an 80-mile round trip to attend court in Reading, or a 120-mile round trip to attend court in Maidenhead... this has the potential to deter many young offenders from attending court, which has clear implications for the criminal justice system. What is more, many local organisations who provide vital support, may find resources to accompany defendants or witnesses to court, cost prohibitive.... cases will endlessly fail as they are put back and victims and witnesses will not turn up.”

A spokesman for Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Service (HMCTS), Mark Kram, said in response to Mr Benyon’s accusation: “Decisions where magistrates cases are heard in a particular area fall to the local judiciary, in consultation with HMCTS, and take account of workload, in order to make the most effective use of resources and facilities.

“No decisions have been taken about the court. This is a consultation and we want to hear people’s views before making any decisions.

“We encourage anyone with an interest to reply to the consultation.”