Justice: Magistrates oppose 'wasteful' closure

MOVES to close a Yorkshire court house that has had more than £800,000 spent on it has been condemned as "economic madness" by local magistrates.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Jul 2010, 00:37 BST
Updated 21st Jul 2010, 00:37 BST

Only two years after a major refit, the Ministry of Justice has started consultations over Selby courthouse's future. It is one of more than 150 magistrates' and county courts across the country facing closure to save 36m.

Yesterday Selby magistrates said in a statement: "In the past two years approximately 821,000 was spent on Selby's court so that it became fit for purpose."

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"To waste this amount of public money and then to close the court is economic madness.

"It is also absurd to say that Selby's court is underused. We have a backlog of approximately 200 trials and has for the past 18 months transferred motoring offences, trading standards offences and Selby prisoners to other courts which have been short of work."

However, the Ministry of Justice said the Selby courthouse costs 130,566 a year to run. Officials say they are aware of the refurbishment – but there is also a backlog of outstanding maintenance work that could cost 100,000.

Related topics:Yorkshire