§
Mr. Wills
I am sorry that your question tabled on 26 February was not answered. You ask how many(a) county courts, (b) crown courts and (c) magistates' courts have been closed in each year since 1 May 1997. Based on the latest survey information the numbers of courts closed since that date are:
543W
| Year |
Magistrates' Courts |
County Courts |
Crown Court Centres |
| 19971 |
16 |
7 |
0 |
| 1998 |
24 |
6 |
0 |
| 1999 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
| 2000 |
13 |
4 |
0 |
| 2001 |
29 |
1 |
0 |
| 20022 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Totals |
90 |
20 |
0 |
| 1 from 1 May 1997 |
| 2 to date of answer |
Specific details of the Magistrates' courthouses and county courts closed are given in the attached tables.
| Court Closures 1997–2002 |
| Court |
Date of Closure |
Post Closure Jurisidiction |
| Andover2 |
30 June 1997 |
Basingstoke, Salisbury, Winchester |
| Braintree+ |
1 December 1997 |
Chelmsford, Harlow and Colchester |
| Bishop's Stortford |
1 December 1997 |
Cambridge, Harlow and Hitchin |
| Alnwick + |
15 December 1997 |
Morpeth |
| Blyth |
15 December 1997 |
Morpeth |
| Berwick upon Tweed1 |
15 December 1997 |
Amalgamated with Morpeth |
| Bridlington+ |
24 December 1997 |
Scarborough |
| Rochdale |
7 September 1998 |
Oldham and Rawtenstall |
| Holywell* |
7 September 1998 |
Rhyl and Chester. * (Caller Office formally closed wef 17 January 2002) |
| Camborne and Redruth+ |
24 December 1998 |
Penzance |
| Hemel Hempstead+ |
24 December 1998 |
Aylesbury, Luton and Watford |
| West Bromwich |
24 December 1998 |
Birmingham, Dudley and Walsall |
| Loughborough |
31 December 1998 |
Derby, Leicester and Nottingham |
| Corby+ (local sittings on trial basis to July 1999) |
1 March 1999 |
Kettering and Peterborough |
| Bridgewater+ |
20 December 1999 |
Taunton |
| Great Yarmouth+ |
31 January 2000 |
Lowestoft and Norwich |
| Grays Thurrock |
31 January 2000 |
Basildon |
| Lichfield |
3 July 2000 |
Burton on Trent, Stafford, Tamworth and Walsall |
| Caerphilly |
30 November 2000 |
Cardiff and Blackwood |
| Workington |
2 January 2001 |
Whitehaven |
| Chepstow+ |
1 April 2002 |
Newport, Hereford and Gloucester |
| Monmouth |
1 April 2002 |
Newport, Hereford and Gloucester |
| 218 courts left when Chepstow and Monmouth courts closed. |
| 1 courts with caller office status |
| 2 courts where Circuit Administrators have undertaken to continue local District Judge sittings in suitable accommodation subject to demand |
544W
| Magistrates' Courts |
| Magistrates' Courthouse |
Closure Date |
| Bromsgrove |
31 May 1997 |
| Ledbury |
31 May 1997 |
| Hebburn |
5 June 1997 |
| South Shields (Kepple Street) |
5 June 1997 |
| Bargoed Chippenham (Market Place) |
30 June 1997 |
| Monmouth |
30 June 1997 |
| Pontlottyn |
30 June 1997 |
| Pontypool |
30 June 1997 |
| Ashton under Lyne (Manchester Road) |
31 August 1997 |
| Duckinsfield |
31 August 1997 |
| Thorne |
31 August 1997 |
| Braintree |
31 December 1997 |
| Clacton on Sea |
31 December 1997 |
| Saffron Walden |
31 December 1997 |
| Stokesley |
31 December 1997 |
| Malton |
6 February 1998 |
| Appleby |
31 March 1998 |
| Bishop's Stortford |
31 March 1998 |
| Chertsey |
31 March 1998 |
| Farnham |
31 March 1998 |
| Hatfield |
31 March 1998 |
| Hitchin |
31 March 1998 |
| Market Rasen |
31 March 1998 |
| Marlborough Street |
31 March 1998 |
| Oxted |
31 March 1998 |
| Lutterworth |
31 July 1998 |
| Ripon |
1 August 1998 |
| Barnard Castle |
31 December 1998 |
| Clerkenwell |
31 December 1998 |
| Corwen |
31 December 1998 |
| Diss |
31 December 1998 |
| Felixstowe |
31 December 1998 |
| Haverhill |
31 December 1998 |
| Lytham |
31 December 1998 |
| Newmarket |
31 December 1998 |
| Saxmundham |
31 December 1998 |
| Sheerness |
31 December 1998 |
| Stowmarket |
31 December 1998 |
| West Malling |
31 December 1998 |
| Abingdon |
31 March 1999 |
| Christchuch |
31 March 1999 |
| Henley on Thames |
31 March 1999 |
| Morley |
31 March 1999 |
| Pudsey |
31 March 1999 |
| Windsor |
31 March 1999 |
| Stow on the Wold |
30 June 1999 |
| March |
31 December 1999 |
| Apmthill |
1 January 2000 |
| Biggles wade |
1 January 2000 |
| Apmthill |
1 January 2000 |
| Dunstable |
1 January 2000 |
| Leighton Buzzard |
1 January 2000 |
| Lichfield |
31 March 2000 |
| Keighley |
1 April 2000 |
| Keswick |
30 April 2000 |
| Appleby |
31 May 2000 |
| Windermere |
31 May 2000 |
| Wigton |
31 May 2000 |
| Gravesend |
9 June 2000 |
| Wootton Bassett |
2 October 2000 |
| Abergele |
31 December 2000 |
| Alfreton |
1 January 2001 |
| Ashbourne |
1 January 2001 |
| Bakewell |
1 January 2001 |
| Matlock |
1 January 2001 |
| Leigh |
31 March 2001 |
| Middleton |
31 March 2001 |
| Leek |
31 March 2001 |
| Worcester |
31 March 2001 |
| Macclesfield Park Green |
1 April 2001 |
| Warrington Patten Hall |
1 April 2001 |
| Bideford |
30 April 2001 |
| Exmouth |
30 April 2001 |
545W
| Magistrates' Courts |
| Magistrates' Courthouse |
Closure Date |
| Kingsbridge |
30 April 2001 |
| South Molton |
30 April 2001 |
| Teignmouth |
30 April 2001 |
| Tavistock |
30 April 2001 |
| Axminster |
4 May 2001 |
| Tiverton |
4 May 2001 |
| Newquay |
30 June 2001 |
| Womborne |
31 August 2001 |
| Southampton (Commercial Road) |
31 August 2001 |
| Gillingham |
30 September 2001 |
| Bridlington |
9 November 2001 |
| Brough |
9 November 2001 |
| Driffield |
9 November 2001 |
| Hull (Guildhall) |
9 November 2001 |
| Hull (Lowgate) |
9 November 2001 |
| Pocklington |
9 November 2001 |
| Withernsea |
9 November 2001 |