Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Lord Hylton (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Ashton of Upholland (Labour) on Tuesday, 9 January 2007.

Courts: Magistrates'

Question
asked Her Majesty's Government:How many magistrates’ courts have been closed or amalgamated since the beginning of 1997.
Answer

The table below details the magistrates’ court closures and amalgamations that the department has been notified of since May 1997. Up until 1 April 2005 magistrates’ courts were the responsibility of locally-managed magistrates’ courts committees who were statutorily independent. They were not required by statute to inform the department of any magistrates’ courts closures that were not subject to an appeal under Section 56(3) of the Justices of the Peace Act 1997 (now repealed). Since May 1997 a number of new courthouses have been built.

Magistrates’ Courts
Year Courthouse closed Date of closure
1997 Bromsgrove 31 May 1997
1997 Ledbury 31 May 1997
1997 Hebburn 5 June 1997
1997 South Shields (Kepple Street) 5 June 1997
1997 Chippenham (Market Place) 30 June 1997
1997 Ashton-Under-Lyne (Manchester Road) 31 August 1997
1997 Duckinsfield 31 August 1997
1997 Thorne 31 August 1997
1997 Pontardawe 9 October 1997
1997 Braintree 31 December 1997
1997 Stokeley 31 December 1997
1997 Clacton-on-Sea 31 December 1997
1997 Bargoed 31 December 1997
1997 Monmouth 31 December 1997
1997 Pontlttyn 31 December 1997
1997 Pontypool 31 December 1997
1998 Malton 6 February 1998
1998 Marlborough Street 31 March 1998
1998 Bishop's Stortford 31 March 1998
1998 Hatfield 31 March 1998
1998 Hitchin 31 March 1998
1998 Market Rasen 31 March 1998
1998 Chertsey 31 March 1998
1998 Farnham 31 March 1998
1998 Oxted 31 March 1998
1998 Lutterworth 31 July 1998
1998 Ripon 1 August 1998
1998 Barnard Castle 31 December 1998
1998 Clerkenwell 31 December 1998
1998 Sheerness 31 December 1998
1998 West Mailing 31 December 1998
1998 Lytham 31 December 1998
1998 Diss 31 December 1998
1998 Corwen 31 December 1998
1998 Felixstowe 31 December 1998
1998 Haverhill 31 December 1998
1998 Saxmundam 31 December 1998
1998 Stowmarket 31 December 1998
1998 Newmarket 31 December 1998
1998 March 31 December 1998
1998 Saffron Walden 31 December 1998
1999 Christchurch 31 March 1999
1999 Abingdon 31 March 1999
1999 Henley-on-Thames 31 March 1999
1999 Windsor 31 March 1999
1999 Morley 31 March 1999
1999 Pudsey 31 March 1999
1999 Stow-on-the-Wold 30 June 1999
2000 Ampthill 1 January 2000
2000 Biggleswade 1 January 2000
2000 Dunstable 1 January 2000
2000 Leighton Buzzard 1 January 2000
2000 Lichfield 31 March 2000
2000 Keighley 1 April 2000
2000 Keswick 30 April 2000
2000 Windermere 31 May 2000
2000 Wigton 31 May 2000
2000 Appleby 31 May 2000
2000 Gravesend 9 June 2000
2000 Wootton Bassett 2 October 2000
2000 Abergele 31 December 2000
2001 Alfreton 1 January 2001
2001 Ashbourne 1 January 2001
2001 Bakewell 1 January 2001
2001 Matlock 1 January 2001
2001 Leigh 31 March 2001
2001 Middleton 31 March 2001
2001 Leek 31 March 2001
2001 Worcester 31 March 2001
2001 Warrington Patten Hall 1 April 2001
2001 Macclesfield Park Green 1 April 2001
2001 Bideford 30 April 2001
2001 Exmouth 30 April 2001
2001 Kingsbridge 30 April 2001
2001 South Molton 30 April 2001
2001 Teignmouth 30 April 2001
2001 Tavistock 30 April 2001
2001 Axminster 4 May 2001
2001 Tiverton 4 May 2001
2001 Newquay 30 June 2001
2001 Southampton (Commercial Road) 31 August 2001
2001 Womborne 1 September 2001
2001 Gillingham 30 September 2001
2001 Bridlington 9 November 2001
2001 Brough 9 November 2001
2001 Driffield 9 November 2001
2001 Hull (Guildhall) 9 November 2001
2001 Hull (Lowgate) 9 November 2001
2001 Pocklington 9 November 2001
2001 Withensea 9 November 2001
2001 Arundel 1 December 2001
2002 Bridgenorth 31 January 2002
2002 Leominster 31 January 2002
2002 Fakenham 1 May 2002
2002 Tunbridge Wells 2 June 2002
2002 Beaconsfield 1 July 2002
2002 Buckingham 1 July 2002
2002 Evesham 30 November 2002
2003 Thame 31 January 2003
2003 Droitwitch 21 March 2003
2003 Machynlleth 21 March 2003
2003 Chester-le-Street 21 March 2003
2003 Rugeley 21 May 2003
2003 Lempeter 9 June 2003
2003 Tenby 30 June 2003
2003 Camberley 30 June 2003
2003 Trowbridge 30 September 2003
2003 Whitchurch 3 October 2003
2003 Long Sutton 31 October 2003
2003 Caistor 31 December 2003
2003 Horncastle 31 December 2003
2004 Richmond 31 March 2004
2004 Stourbridge 23 June 2004
2006 Wetherby 7 March 2006

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
977; 688 c68-70WA
Session
2006-07
Subjects
Closures Magistrates' courts
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk