§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will publish a table in the Official Report to show, by each county in England and Wales, the location of each courthouse for use by magistrates available on 30th September 1995 and on 1st January 2001. [HL567]
§ The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Lord Bach)The information in the table is by Magistrates' Courts Committee area. The data in 41WA the column heades "Open as at 1/1/01" has been assembled from courthouse usage returns up to December 2000, not from a specific survey of courthouse, and is subject to confirmation on the next survey.
42WA
Location of Magistrates' Courts MCC Courthouse Open as at 30/9/95 Open as at 1/1/01 Avon Bath Avon Bristol Avon Flax Bourton Avon Weston super Mare Avon Yale Avon 5 5 Barking & Dagenham Barking (East Street) Barking & Dagenham Barking (North Street) Barking & Dagenham 2 2 Barnet Barnet Barnet Hendon Barnet 2 2 Barnsley Barnsley Barnsley 1 1 Bedfordshire Ampthill closed Bedfordshire Bedford Bedfordshire Biggleswade closed Bedfordshire Dunstable closed Bedfordshire Leighton Buzzard closed Bedfordshire Luton Bedfordshire 6 2 Bexley Bexley Bexley 1 1 Brent Brent Brent 1 1 Bromley Bromley (London Road) not yet open Bromley Bromley (South Street) closed Bromley 1 1 Calderdale Halifax Calderdale 1 1 Cambridgeshire Cambridge Cambridgeshire Ely Cambridgeshire Huntingdon Cambridgeshire March closed Cambridgeshire Peterborough Cambridgeshire Wisbech Cambridgeshire 6 5 Cheshire Chester Cheshire Crewe Cheshire Ellesmere Port closed Cheshire Macclesfield (Hibel Rd) Cheshire Macclesfield (Park Green) Cheshire Northwich Cheshire Runcorn Cheshire Warrington (Arpley Street) Cheshire Warrington (Patten Hall) Cheshire Widnes Cheshire 10 9 City of London City of London City of London 1 1 Cleveland Guisborough Cleveland Hartlepool Cleveland Middlesbrough Cleveland 3 3 Croydon Croydon Croydon 1 1 Cumbria Appleby closed Cumbria Barrow in Furness Cumbria Carlisle Cumbria Kendal Cumbria Keswick closed Cumbria Penrith Cumbria Whitehaven Cumbria Wigton closed Cumbria Windemere closed 43WA
Location of Magistrates' Courts MCC Courthouse Open as at SO/9/95 Open as at 1/1/01 Cumbria Workington Cumbria 10 6 Derbyshire Alfreton Derbyshire Ashbourne Derbyshire Bakewell Derbyshire Buxton Derbyshire Chesterfield (Briminglon Rd) Derbyshire Chesterfield (West Bars) Derbyshire Derby (Bold Lane) Derbyshire Derby (Derwent St) Derbyshire Derby (Derwent Street) Derbyshire Derby (Swadlincote) Derbyshire Glossop Derbyshire Ikeston Derbyshire Matlock Derbyshire 13 13 Devon & Cornwall Axminster Devon & Cornwall Barnstaple Devon & Cornwall Bideford Devon & Cornwall Bodmin Devon & Cornwall Camborne Devon & Cornwall Cullompton Devon & Cornwall Exeter Devon & Cornwall Exmouth Devon & Cornwall Honiton Devon & Cornwall Isles of Scilly Devon & Cornwall Kingsbridge Devon & Cornwall Launceston Devon & Cornwall Liskeard Devon & Cornwall Newquay Devon & Cornwall Newton Abbot Devon & Cornwall Okehampton Devon & Cornwall Penzance Devon & Cornwall Plymouth Devon & Cornwall South Molton Devon & Cornwall Tavistock Devon & Cornwall Teignmouth Devon & Cornwall Tiverton Devon & Cornwall Torquay Devon & Cornwall Totnes Devon & Cornwall Truro Devon & Cornwall 25 25 Doncaster Doncaster Doncaster Thorne closed Doncaster 2 1 Dorset Blandford Dorset Bournemouth Dorset Bridport Dorset Christchurch closed Dorset Dorchester Dorset Gillingham Dorset Poole Dorset Sherborne Dorset Wareham Dorset Weymouth Dorset Wimborne Dorset 11 10 Durham Barnard Castle closed Durham Bishop Auckland Durham Chester le Street Durham Consett Durham Darlington Durham Durham Durham Newton Aycliffe Durham Peterlee Durham Seaham closed Durham 9 7 Dyfed Aberystwyth Dyfed Ammanford Dyfed Cardigan Dyfed Carmarthen Dyfed Haverfordwest Dyfed Lampeter Dyfed Llandovery Dyfed Llanelli Dyfed Pembroke closed Dyfed Tenby 44WA
Location of Magistrates' Courts MCC Courthouse Open as at 30/9/95 Open as at 1/1/01 Dyfed 10 9 Ealing Acton Ealing Ealing Ealing 2 2 East Sussex Brighton East Sussex Eastbourne East Sussex Hastings East Sussex Lewes East Sussex 4 4 Enfield Enfield Enfield 1 1 Essex Basildon Essex Braintree closed Essex Chelmsford Essex Clacton on Sea closed Essex Colchester (Stanwell House) Essex Colchester (Town Hall) Essex Epping Essex Grays Essex Halstead closed Essex Harlow Essex Harwich Essex Saffron Walden closed Essex Southend on Sea Essex Witham Essex 14 10 Gateshead Blaydon Gateshead Gateshead Gateshead 2 2 Gloucestershire Cheltenham Gloucestershire Cirencester Gloucestershire Coleford Gloucestershire Dursley Gloucestershire Gloucester Gloucestershire Stow on the Wold Gloucestershire Stroud Gloucestershire Tewkesbury Gloucestershire Whitminster closed Gloucestershire 9 8 Gwent Abergavenny Gwent Abertillery Gwent Bargoed closed Gwent Blackwood Gwent Caerphilly Gwent Chepstow Gwent Cwnbran Gwent Monmouth closed Gwent Newport (Civic Centre) Gwent Newport (Pentonville) Gwent Pontlottyn closed Gwent Pontypool closed Gwent Tredegar Gwent 13 9 Hampshire Aldershot Hampshire Alton Hampshire Andover Hampshire Basingstoke Hampshire Eastleigh Hampshire Fareham Hampshire Havant Hampshire Lyndhurst Hampshire Portsmouth Hampshire Southampton Hampshire 10 10 Haringey Enfield Haringey Highgate Haringey 2 2 Harrow Harrow Harrow 1 1 Havering Romford Havering 1 1 Hereford & Worcester Bromsgrove closed Hereford & Worcester Droitwich Hereford & Worcester Evesham Hereford & Worcester Hereford Hereford & Worcester Kidderminster Hereford & Worcester Ledbury closed 45WA
Location of Magistrates'Courts MCC Courthouse Open as at 30/9/95 Open as at 1/1/01 Hereford & Worcester Leominster Hereford & Worcester Redditch Hereford & Worcester Worcester Hereford & Worcester 9 7 Hertfordshire Bishop's Stortford closed Hertfordshire Cheshunt Hertfordshire Hatfield closed Hertfordshire Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire Hertford Hertfordshire Hitchin closed Hertfordshire St. Albans Hertfordshire Stevenage Hertfordshire Watford Hertfordshire 9 6 Hillingdon Uxbridge Hillingdon 1 1 Hounslow Brentford Hounslow Feltham Hounslow 2 2 Humberside Bridlington Humberside Brough Humberside Driffield Humberside Goole Humberside Grimsby Humberside Hornsea closed Humberside Howden closed Humberside Hull (Guildhall) Humberside Hull (Lowgate) Humberside Market Weighton closed Humberside Pocklington Humberside Scunthorpe Humberside Withernsea Humberside 13 10 Inner London Balham Inner London Belmarsh Inner London Bow Street Inner London Camberwell Green Inner London Clerkenwell closed Inner London Greenwich Inner London Hampstead closed Inner London Highbury Corner Inner London Horseferry Road Inner London Marlborough Street closed Inner London Marylebone (181 Marylebone Rd) Inner London Marylebone (185 Marylebone Rd) closed Inner London Old Street closed Inner London Seymour Place closed Inner London South Western Inner London Thames Inner London Tower Bridge Inner London Wells Street Inner London West London Inner London Woolwich Inner London 20 14 Isle of Wight Newport Isle of Wight 1 1 Kent Ashford Kent Canterbury Kent Chatham Kent Dartford Kent Dover Kent Folkestone Kent Gravesham closed Kent Maidstone Kent Margate Kent Sevenoaks Kent Sheerness closed Kent Sittingbourne Kent Tonbridge closed Kent Tunbridge Wells Kent West Mailing closed Kent 15 11 Kingston upon Kingston upon Thames Thames Kingston upon 1 1 Thames Lancashire Accrington Lancashire Blackburn 46WA
Location of Magistrates' Courts MCC Courthouse Open as at 30/9/95 Open as at 1/1/01 Lancashire Blackpool Lancashire Burnley Lancashire Chorley Lancashire Fleetwood Lancashire Lancaster Lancashire Leyland Lancashire Lytham closed Lancashire Ormskirk Lancashire Preston Lancashire Reedley Lancashire Rossendale Lancashire 13 12 Leeds Leeds Leeds Morley closed Leeds Otley closed Leeds Pudsey closed Leeds Wetherby Leeds 5 2 Leicestershire Coalville Leicestershire Hinckley Leicestershire Leicester Leicestershire Loughborough Leicestershire Lutterworth closed Leicestershire Market Harborough Leicestershire Melton Mowbray Leicestershire Rutland Leicestershire 8 7 Lincolnshire Boston Lincolnshire Bourne Lincolnshire Caistor Lincolnshire Gainsborough Lincolnshire- Grantham Lincolnshire Horncastle Lincolnshire Lincoln Lincolnshire Long Sutton Lincolnshire Louth Lincolnshire Market Rasen closed Lincolnshire Skegness Lincolnshire Sleaford Lincolnshire Spalding Lincolnshire Stamford Lincolnshire 14 13 Manchester Manchester Manchester 1 1 Merseyside Birkenhead Merseyside Bootle Merseyside Knowsley Merseyside Liverpool (Crosshall St) Merseyside Liverpool (Crown & Jerome Bldgs) Merseyside Liverpool (Dale St) Merseyside Southport Merseyside St Helens Merseyside Wallasey Merseyside 9 9 Merton Wimbledon Merton 1 1 Newcastle Upon Tyne Gosforth Newcastle Upon Tyne Newcastle Upon Tyne Newcastle Upon Tyne 2 2 Newham Stratford Newham 1 1 Norfolk Cromer Norfolk Diss closed Norfolk East Dereham closed Norfolk Fakenham Norfolk Great Yarmouth Norfolk Hunstanton closed Norfolk King's Lynn Norfolk Norwich Norfolk Swaffham Norfolk Thetford Norfolk 10 7 North & West Bolton Manchester North & West Bury Manchester North & West Leigh Manchester 47WA
Location of Magistrates' Courts MCC Courthouse Open as at 30/9/95 Open as at 1/1/01 North & West Middleton Manchester North & West Rochdale Manchester North & West Salford Manchester North & West Wigan Manchester North & West 7 7 Manchester North Tyneside North Shields North Tyneside 1 1 North Wales Abergele North Wales Amlwch closed North Wales Bala closed North Wales Bangor North Wales Blaenau Festiniog closed North Wales Caernarfon North Wales Corwen closed North Wales Denbigh North Wales Dolgellau North Wales Flint North Wales Holyhead North Wales Llandudno North Wales Llangefni North Wales Llangollen closed North Wales Mold North Wales Prestatyn North Wales Pwlheli North Wales Tywyn closed North Wales Wrexham North Wales 19 13 North Yorkshire Bedale closed North Yorkshire Easingwold closed North Yorkshire Harrogate North Yorkshire Ingleton closed North Yorkshire Leyburn closed North Yorkshire Malton closed North Yorkshire Northallerton North Yorkshire Pickering North Yorkshire Richmond North Yorkshire Ripon closed North Yorkshire Scarborough North Yorkshire Selby North Yorkshire Skipton North Yorkshire Stokesley Closed North Yorkshire Thirsk closed North Yorkshire Whitby North Yorkshire York North Yorkshire 17 9 Northamptonshire Corby Northamptonshire Daventry Northamptonshire Kettering Northamptonshire Northampton Northamptonshire Towcester Northamptonshire Wellingborough Northamptonshire 6 6 Northumberland Alnwick Northumberland Bedlington Northumberland Berwick upon Tweed Northumberland Hexham Northumberland 4 4 Nottinghamshire Mansfield (Commercial St) closed Nottinghamshire Mansfield (Rosemary St) not yet open Nottinghamshire Newark Nottinghamshire Nottingham (Carrington St) not yet open Nottinghamshire Nottingham (Guildhall) closed Nottinghamshire Nottingham (Sand Field House) closed Nottinghamshire Retford Nottinghamshire Worksop Nottinghamshire 6 5 Oldham Oldham Oldham 1 1 Powys Brecon Powys Llandrindod Wells 48WA
Location of Magistrates' Courts MCC Courthouse Open as at 30/9/95 Open as at 1/1/01 Powys Machynlleth Powys Newtown Powys Ystradgynlais Powys 5 5 Redbridge Redbridge Redbridge 1 1 Richmond upon Richmond upon Thames Thames Richmond upon 1 1 Thames Rotherham Rotherham Rotherham 1 1 Sheffield Shefield Sheffield 1 1 Shropshire Bridgnorth Shropshire Ludlow Shropshire Market Drayton Shropshire Oswestry Shropshire Shrewsbury Shropshire Telford Shropshire Whitchurch Shropshire 7 7 Somerset Bridgwater Somerset Frome Somerset Minehead Somerset Taunton Somerset Wells Somerset Yeovil Somerset 6 6 South Tyneside Hebburn closed South Tyneside South Shields (Kepple Street) closed South Tyneside South Shields (Millbank) not yet open South Tyneside 2 1 South Wales Aberdare South Wales Barry South Wales Bridgend South Wales Cardiff South Wales Llantrisant South Wales Merthyr Tydfil South Wales Pontypridd South Wales Rhondda South Wales 8 8 Staffordshire Biddulph closed Staffordshire Burton upon Trent Staffordshire Cannock Staffordshire Cheadle closed Staffordshire Kidsgrove closed Staffordshire Leek Staffordshire Lichfield closed Staffordshire Newcastle under Lyme Staffordshire Rugeley Staffordshire Stafford Staffordshire Stoke on Trent Staffordshire Tamworth Staffordshire Wombourne Staffordshire 13 9 Stockport Stockport Stockport 1 1 Suffolk Bury St Edmunds Suffolk Felixstowe closed Suffolk Haverhill closed Suffolk Ipswich Suffolk Lowestoft Suffolk Mildenhall Suffolk Newmarket closed Suffolk Saxmundham closed Suffolk Stowmarket closed Suffolk Sudbury Suffolk 10 5 Sunderland Houghton le Spring Sunderland Sunderland Sunderland 2 2 Surrey Camberley Surrey Chertsey closed Surrey Dorking Surrey Epsom Surrey Farnham closed 49WA
Location of Magistrates' Courts MCC Courthouse Open as at 30/9/95 Open as at 1/1/01 Surrey Guildford Surrey Oxted closed Surrey Redhill Surrey Staines Surrey Woking Surrey 10 7 Sutton Sutton Sutton 1 1 Tameside Ashton under Lyne (Henry Sq) not yet open Tameside Ashton under Lyne (Manchester Rd) closed Tameside Duckinsfield closed Tameside 2 1 Thames Valley Abingdon closed Thames Valley Amersham Thames Valley Aylesbury Thames Valley Banbury Thames Valley Beaconsfield Thames Valley Bicester Thames Valley Bracknell Thames Valley Buckingham Thames Valley Didcot Thames Valley Henley on Thames closed Thames Valley Maidenhead Thames Valley Milton Keynes Thames Valley Newbury Thames Valley Oxford Thames Valley Reading Thames Valley Slough Thames Valley Thame Thames Valley Wantage Thames Valley Windsor closed Thames Valley Witney Thames Valley Wycombe Thames Valley 21 18 Trafford Sale Trafford 1 1 Waltham Forest Waltham Forest Waltham Forest 1 1 Warwickshire Atherstone Warwickshire Leamington Spa Warwickshire Nuneaton Warwickshire Rugby Warwickshire Stratford upon Avon Warwickshire 5 5 West Glamorgan Gowerton West Glamorgan Neath West Glamorgan Pontardawe closed West Glamorgan Port Talbot West Glamorgan Swansea West Glamorgan 5 4 West Midlands Birmingham (Corporation St) West Midlands Birmingham (Newton Street) West Midlands Birmingham (Youth Court) West Midlands Coventry West Midlands Dudley West Midlands Halesowen West Midlands Solihull West Midlands Stourbridge West Midlands Sutton Coldfield West Midlands Walsall (Aldridge) West Midlands Walsall (Stafford Street) West Midlands Warley West Midlands West Bromwich West Midlands Wolverhampton West Midlands 14 14 West Riding Bingley West Riding Bradford West Riding Castleford West Riding Dewsbury West Riding Huddersfield West Riding Keighley closed West Riding Pontefract West Riding Wakefield West Riding 8 7
Location of Magistrates' Courts MCC Courthouse Open as at 30/9/95 Open as at 1/1/01 West Sussex Arundel West Sussex Chichester West Sussex Crawley West Sussex Haywards Heath West Sussex Horsham West Sussex Worthing West Sussex 6 6 Wiltshire Chippenham (Market Place) closed Wiltshire Chippenham (Pewsham Way) not yet open Wiltshire Devizes Wiltshire Salisbury Wiltshire Swindon Wiltshire Trowbridge Wiltshire Wootton Bassett closed Wiltshire 6 5 Grand Total 514* 428 * This corrects the number shown in an earlier answer to the noble Lord on 6 March 2000, Official Report (WA 129).
§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
When government guidance was last issued to Magistrates' Courts Committees on the criteria they should use in determining the number and location of magistrates' courts in their areas; and whether they will put a copy of such guidance in the Library of the House. [HL568]
§ Lord BachThe Government does not issue such guidance.
The only guidance of this kind is issued by the Central Council of Magistrates' Courts Committees. Last month, the Central Council published its revised edition of the 'Good Practice Guide on Courthouse Closure', which both Ministers and Her Majesty's Magistrates' Courts Service Inspectorate endorse.
Copies of this guidance have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Who is entitled to appeal to the Lord Chancellor against the closure of magistrates' courts; and whether they will list all such appeals made since the coining into force of the Justices of the Peace Act 1997 indicating the result of the appeal in each case. [HL569]
§ Lord BachUnder Section 56(3) of the Justices of the Peace Act 1997, any paying authority (local authority that contributes financially) that is aggrieved by the determination of a Magistrates' Courts Committee to close a courthouse has the right to appeal to the Lord Chancellor within one month of receipt of written notification of the determination.
A list of appeals made since June 1997 when the Justices of the Peace Act 1997 came into force, is set out in the table.
50WA51WA
Name MCC Name of Courthouse Decision Made Date of Decision Staffordshire Kidsgrove, Biddulph & Cheadle Dismissed July 1997 North Wales Bleanau Ffestiniog and Llangollen Dismissed July 1997 West Glamorgan Pontedawe Dismissed October 1997 Hereford & Worcester Evesham, Bromsgrove, Ledbury Dismissed: Evesham retained October 1997 Gwent Bargoed, Chepstow, Monmouth, Pontlottyn, Pontypool Dismissed; Chepstow retained December 1997 North Yorkshire Malton (Norton), Stokesley Dismissed December 1997 Hertfordshire Hitchin, Hatfield, Bishop's Stortford Dismissed March 1998 Essex Braintree, Clacton, Saffron Walden Dismissed June 1998 North Yorkshire Ripon Dismissed June 1998 North Wales Corwen Dismissed August 1998 Suffolk Felixstowe, Stowmarket, Haverhill, Saxmundham, Newmarket Dismissed August 1998 Leeds Morley, Pudsey, Wetherby Dismissed; Wetherby retained October 1998 Derbyshire Ashbourne, Bakewell, Matlock, Swadlincote & New court at Chesterfield (7 courtrooms) New court at Derby (11 courtrooms) Dismissed November 1998 Berkshire & Oxfordshire Abingdon. Henley, Windsor Dismissed December 1998 Cambridgeshire March Dismissed December 1998 North Wales Holyhead, Mold, Prestatyn (Offices) Dismissed February 1999 Devon & Cornwall (shadow) location of court office: Derriford, Devon Allowed February 1999 Bedfordshire Ampthill; Biggleswade; Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard Dismissed April 1999 Gloucestershire Stow-on-the-Wold Dismissed May 1999 West Riding Keighley Dismissed February 2000 Cumbria Appleby, Keswick, Wigton, Windermere Dismissed 26.2.00 Staffordshire Lichfield, Dismissed 3.4.00
Name MCC Name of Courthouse Decision Made Dale of Decision Wombourne (Seisdon) Allowed Kent Gravesend Dismissed 8.05.00 Wiltshire Wootton Bassett Dismissed 04.07.00 North & West Greater Mancheser Middleton, Leigh Dismissed 20.12.00 Cheshire Patten Hall Withdrawn