New fears for future of Newbury court

For months, rumours have circulated among magistrates, solicitors and staff that the building is being deliberately under-used so that its closure can be justified in the near future.
One former bench chairman said: “Every time I sit now it’s in Slough or Maidenhead. Offenders are increasingly given cautions instead of being brought before the court and the Newbury court building is half mothballed. It’s all very worrying.”
The court was saved from the axe following a massive campaign in 2010.
But increasingly, local cases are allocated to courts in Slough and Reading, and the number of days the Newbury bench sits has been cut.
Julian Swift Hook (Lib Dem, Greenham) said: “Despite the enormous cross-party lobbying effort which managed to save it in 2010, HMCTS is still trying to close it. It is only open two days a week now
“Closing the Newbury court may well save HMCTS some money, but the huge cost burden is transferred to other local public sector organisations and the impact on local justice and on the local community doesn’t seem to come into the HMCTS calculation.”
Newbury MP Richard Benyon, who was among the campaigners, has written to the deputy director of Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS), Chris Jennings.
He wrote: “If rumours are to be believed, you are now reconsidering the decision taken by ministers and this is causing great concern across my constituency. I am sure that you will understand that it would be a very serious matter if you were considering closure after ministers had taken the decision to keep the court open.”
Nevertheless, Mr Jennings did not give any firm undertaking. In his reply he stated: “HMCTS continues to face funding challenges in the coming years and we need to ensure HMCTS can operate more efficiently, deliver value for money and continue to deliver on our obligations to our customers. This includes looking at the most efficient use of our estate.
“HMCTS is therefore continuing to keep the use of its estate under review to ensure it continues to meet operational requirements.”
Mr Benyon has said he is not reassured or satisfied with Mr Jennings’ reply and will be seeking an “urgent briefing” on the court’s future.