Courts: Closures
(asked on 27th October 2014) - View Source
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the date of closure was of each court building which closed but was not disposed of between May 2010 and 30 June 2014.
The Department is committed to disposing of surplus property assets expeditiously and reducing holding costs.
The date of operational closure of each court building which has been closed but not disposed of since May 2010 is detailed below. The majority of these courts were closed as part of the Court Estate Reform Programme (CERP). CERP is expected to save the taxpayer £152m by 2015 while ensuring the courts continue to operate effectively. As of 29 October 2014 a total of 66 buildings closed under the programme have been sold attracting disposal receipts of £42.9m.
In addition to the courts announced for closure under CERP, the Ministry of Justice has closed and disposed of a number of court buildings as a result of the integration and co-location.
The sale of former court buildings is dependent on a number of factors including the state of the market, potential future use of the property (including its development potential) and their location. Furthermore, some of the buildings are occupied in part by the police and local authorities, which can also delay or prevent swift disposal.
When disposing of surplus property assets we will always seek best value for the taxpayer.
Table: Date of operational closure of each court building which has been closed but not disposed of since May 2010 as at 30 June 2014
Court Building | Date of operational closure 1, 2 |
Bishop Auckland Magistrates’ & County Court 4 | 13 July 2011 |
Bridgwater Magistrates’ Court | 30 March 2012 |
Bridport Magistrates' Court 3 | 18 March 2010 |
Burton-upon-Trent County Court | 22 March 2013 |
Cirencester Magistrates’ Court | 01 April 2011 |
Coleford Magistrates’ Court | 01 April 2011 |
Dorking Magistrates' Court 3 | 18 March 2010 |
Epping Magistrates’ Court | 30 March 2012 |
Flint Magistrates' Court | 01 April 2011 |
Frome Magistrates' Court | 01 April 2011 |
Goole Magistrates' Court | 16 December 2011 |
Haywards Heath (Mid Sussex) Magistrates’ Court | 30 March 2012 |
Honiton Magistrates’ Court | 01 April 2011 |
Houghton Le Spring Magistrates' Court | 01 April 2011 |
Keighley (Bingley) Magistrates’ Court | 16 December 2011 |
Lewes Magistrates’ Court | 01 April 2011 |
Lyndhurst Magistrates’ Court | 01 April 2011 |
Market Drayton Magistrates' Court | 01 April 2011 |
Oswestry Magistrates' Court & County Court | 07 October 2011 |
Pontefract Magistrates’ Court | 22 March 2013 |
Rochdale Magistrates’ Court5 | 22 December 2011 |
Selby Magistrates’ Court | 22 March 2013 |
Sherborne Magistrates' Court 3 | 18 March 2010 |
Stoke-on-Trent Magistrates’ Court | 07 December 2012 |
Totnes Magistrates’ Court | 01 April 2011 |
Towcester Magistrates' Court | 01 April 2011 |
Weston Super Mare Magistrates’ Court 6 | Not used since September 2006 |
Wimborne Magistrates' Court | 01 April 2011 |
Witham Magistrates’ Court | 30 March 2012 |
Footnotes:
1. The date the building was decommissioned and available for disposal is not held centrally. Court buildings may have been used for administrative purposes following their operational closure until space could be found at alternative locations to facilitate this work
2. Where two courts shared the same building then the operational closure date of the last court to close is shown
3. The closures of Bridport Magistrates’ Court, Dorking Magistrates’ Court and Sherborne Magistrates’ Court were announced on 18 March 2010
4. Bishop Auckland Magistrates’ Court and County Court building was sold on 11 August 2014
5. Rochdale Magistrates’ Court was sold on 28 August 2014
6. Former Weston Super Mare Magistrates’ Court is integral with the police station. Avon and Somerset Policy Authority will lead on the future of the building