Alnwick Court closure would cause problems without saving much money says Beith

Published on Tue 29th Jun 2010

Sir Alan Beith MP has voiced his concerns over the proposals to close Alnwick Court, meaning cases would be heard at Bedlington or occasionally Berwick.

The Alnwick Magistrates Court shares premises with the Police Station, and the court deals with adult criminal cases, youth court, family work and licensing matters. The Government is looking at the prospect of closing up to 157 courts across England and Wales which could save an estimated £15.3m a year as well as £21.5m in outstanding maintenance work on the properties.

Sir Alan Beith, who chairs the House of Commons Justice Committee, said

"The Government is having to look very carefully at the costs of the criminal justice system but withdrawing the magistrates court from Alnwick would create serious problems for witnesses and families, and would affect local solicitors.

"It is likely to lead to an increase in non-appearances at court with all the additional costs that entails.

"Nor is it clear that public funds would benefit from not using the court building Since the building is shared with the police , the court premises could probably only be used by the police themselves, and the building as a whole would still have to be maintained at public expense."

At present, cases are heard at Alnwick which involve defendants and witnesses from the former Alnwick District Council area, from Beadnell and Seahouses in the north to Togston, Broomhill and Amble in the south, and from Rothbury and the Coquet Valley. Travel to the court can already be difficult for people from rural areas relying on public transport. Travelling to Bedlington would be even more difficult, and would mean leaving Alnwick on the bus at 6.30am to be at the court in time for the first hearing of the day. If the court day over-runs, some people would not be able to return home that evening by public transport.

Sir Alan added,

"The staff at the Court have many years of experience and deal with a wide range of people, often in difficult or emotional situations. It would be a shame to lose their expertise and local knowledge."

Sir Alan is now undertaking a survey of local solicitors to get their views on the proposals together with views on the wider proposals to cut the Ministry of Justice's budget by £325m.

The closure proposal is one of over one hundred that the Government has put up for consultation.