Courts issued closure order

SET to go: Oldham Magistrates’ Court

OLDHAM Magistrates' Court is set to close on September 23, with all cases going to Tameside.

The news comes after the Chronicle reported in February how both Oldham Magistrates' and Oldham County Court were among 86 of 91 courts nationwide threatened with closure within two years.

Under a court closure programme announced by the Government last July, a 12-week consultation period was put in place to close all county courts in Greater Manchester, with the exception of Wigan and Manchester.

Cases for Oldham Magistrates' Court, on West Street, which has 22 staff and annual operating costs of £418,000, will be transferred to Tameside Magistrates' Court in Ashton.

Cases at Oldham County Court, on New Radcliffe Street, which has 31 staff and annual operating costs of £666,000, will be transferred to the Manchester Civil Justice Centre. There is no confirmed date for when the county court will close.

Law firms are even more concerned as to what this means for their businesses and for access to justice.

Roger Lowe, president of Oldham Law Association, said: "I'm very sad to see the court close. Oldham Magistrates' Court has a proud history that must go back, I imagine, over 100 years.

"It will have an impact on firms. We could see the end of some law firms, make no bones about it."

Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon wrote to Tony Lloyd, Greater Manchester interim Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner, asking him to use his powers to halt the closures in Oldham.

He said: "The decision of the Government to close courts in Greater Manchester was based on a flawed and inaccurate evidence base and without any economic impact assessment.

"If devolution means anything there must be a tangible difference to the short sighted, slash and burn approach deployed by the disconnected and disinterested government.

"I am requesting an immediate halt to the proposed court closures, particularly in Oldham.

"The move will not only move justice further away from people but it is highly likely to have a serious impact on our local economy.

"Already local law firms are considering moving out of town and little thought was given to the additional cost of council staff in family cases through greater travel and waiting time."

However, Mr Lloyd said he is unable to reverse the decision.

He said: "I opposed the court closure programme because I recognised it is bad for Oldham and the other affected parts of Greater Manchester, and that's why I let local authority leaders, MPs and councillors know what was taking place.

"What I can't promise is to undo decisions which were made long before the justice devolution process began, but this does highlight the very real need for devolution itself.

"Decisions such as those to close courts affect our towns and cities, and they should not be made remotely in Whitehall. The Government has agreed that in future such major decisions will have to involve Greater Manchester and cannot be taken in isolation. This is a commitment other areas of the country simply do not have.

"What I can say to Jim, and others who share our concerns, is that I have led a process whereby the Government, Court Service and Oldham Council have been brought together to assess the impact of these decisions, and see how they can be minimised. Those negotiations are continuing."

In the North-West, the Lord Chancellor decided that 10 courts will close with only three remaining open.

These are St Helens County Court (with St Helens Magistrates' Court to close), Stockport Magistrates' Court and County Court, and West Cumbria Magistrates' Court and County Court.

When the consultation document was published the Ministry of Justice stated that the Oldham County Court building was used only 12 per cent of the year.

Public and Commercial Services Union members felt that these figures were flawed and that the utilisation figure should be closer to 60 per cent.

A spokesperson for HM Courts & Tribunals Service said: "The decision to close a court is never taken lightly, but maintaining underused and dilapidated court buildings is simply unsustainable and costs the taxpayer £500 million a year.

"Access to justice is not just about proximity to a court and we are investing over £700 million to reform and digitise our courts and tribunal services to deliver swifter and more certain justice."