Back campaign to save doorstep justice, town's residents urged

Jeni Harvey

PEOPLE in Barnsley are being urged to object to plans to close Barnsley County Court and transfer its work to Sheffield before the consultation period ends next Wednesday, September 15.

Barnsley is one of 54 civil courts nationwide, but the only one in South Yorkshire, that the Government is planning to close to cut costs.

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It is not yet known what this means for the 15 staff employed by the court, but Her Majesty’s Court Service (HMCS) says it plans to “engage with staff and the trade unions throughout the consultation process.”

Barnsley Magistrates’ Court would be unaffected by the closure, as would magistrates courts elsewhere in South Yorkshire.

Civil judges in Barnsley have therefore suggested a relocation to the magistrates’ court, and Barnsley Council’s cabinet committee has voted to “strongly object” to the county court’s closure.

The consultation document drawn up by HMCS, which is part of the Ministry of Justice, says: “There is sufficient capacity at Sheffield County Court and Sheffield Family Hearing Centre to accommodate the Barnsley County Court workload.

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“In Sheffield County Court there are six district judges’ chambers or hearing rooms and three civil courtrooms. In Sheffield Family Hearing Centre there are two district judges’ chambers or hearing rooms and four courtrooms. At present, these rooms are not all fully used throughout the week.”

The document adds that the journey from Barnsley to Sheffield should take 35 minutes by car, or as little as 22 minutes by train.

However, issues such as this are being disputed by those opposing the court’s closure.

Jenny Garbutt, a personal injury specialist at Raleys Solicitors, said: “This closure cannot be allowed to happen. The people of Barnsley need access to justice on their doorstep.

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“The consultation notes claim that for people in Barnsley the journey to Sheffield Combined Court takes up to 31 minutes by train, followed by a 15 minute walk from the station, which is totally misleading.

“Not everyone lives in Barnsley town centre, not everyone will travel from Barnsley Interchange and it also makes the assumption everyone has good mobility.

“Inevitably those travelling by train will have to first get to Barnsley Interchange. Then, once they arrive in Sheffield, are faced with a walk which will be impossible for anyone with children or poor mobility, forcing them to take a taxi.”

Ms Garbutt said that the closure of the county court could also have an impact on the long-term future of Barnsley.

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She said: “Business would be taken away from the town and it would have a detrimental effect on job creation and possibly existing employment.

“For these reasons it is vitally important we send a strong message to the Government telling them ‘no’.”

At present the HMCS runs 530 courts nationwide, but it says these courts “does not reflect changes in population, workload or transport and communication links over the years since many of them were opened.”

The consultation document says: “This has resulted in some courts sitting infrequently and hearing too few cases.

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“Other agencies with whom we work across the justice system are also put under strain by the need to work at a number of different courts in the same area, some of which are in close proximity to each other.

“When public finances are under pressure, it is vital we eliminate waste and reduce costs.”