Ministry Of Justice To Close Wrexham’s Tribunal And Hearing Centre

The Tribunal and Hearing Centre in Wrexham is one of several courts across Wales to close, it has been announced today. Contrary to some reports this is not the Magistrates Court.

In a ‘Response to the proposal on the provision of court and tribunal services in Wales‘ released by Ministry of Justice today it is noted that the Tribunal and Hearing Centre on Rhyd Broughton Lane (by the Ramada Hotel) is to close.

The facility operates across three hearing rooms, a medical room and one judicial retiring room and is reported to have ‘utilised at approximately 12% capacity’ in the past financial year. It is described by a third party as a 320m square building leased via PFI tenure.

Work carried out at the centre will be moved to Wrexham Law Courts and Mold Law Courts.

The future of the centre has been uncertain since July 2015, when the Ministry of Justice announced they were to begin a consultation on ‘underused and poor quality court and tribunal buildings across the country’.

Details about the ‘value for money’ and the reasons for the closure of the court are listed, with the document stating: “The operating costs for Wrexham Tribunal (Rhyd Broughton) were approximately £197,000 for 2014-15. The building is owned by the Department of Work and Pensions and leased to HM Courts & Tribunals Service. The tribunal consists of three hearing rooms, one medical room and one judicial retiring room, the waiting areas for which are small.

“Although the accommodation is compliant with the Equality Act 2010, the facilities available within the building are poor. There are no video link facilities for users. There is a need to improve security arrangements at the tribunal. Staff and judiciary cannot access the court other than from public areas and the entrances to some courtrooms cannot be seen by staff or security guards.

“We need to reduce the cost of our estate and reinvest the savings. The previous refurbishment at this court was required following a health and safety report which highlighted some areas requiring work. The close proximity of the receiving courts, their size, good condition and under use justifies the closure of this centre.”

Further court closures in north Wales include: Dolgellau Crown and Magistrates’ Court, Holyhead Magistrates’ Court, Prestatyn Magistrates’ Court and Llangefni Civil and Family Court.

The announcement has been slammed by Wrexham MP Ian Lucas, who said: “This closure is part of a wider pattern across North Wales, where the Conservatives are cutting all kinds of public sector buildings and jobs. Among the other proposed closures announced in my constituency alone are Wrexham’s passport and tax offices – and I fear that may only be the start. If the Ministry of Justice are considering further closures in the future, other courts in Wrexham could be at risk.”

Wrexham’s AM Lesley Griffiths added: “I am concerned by the MOJ’s decision and the damage these continued cuts could have on our legal system. Closing a significant number of courts across Wales could bring about delays in cases being brought forward, as well as damaging our local communities.”

“For Wrexham, the consequences of the decision are heightened when coupled with UK Government proposals to close the local passport and HMRC offices. As the largest town in North Wales, I want Wrexham to be creating and attracting more highly-skilled jobs but there appears to be a concerning trend and determination from the Conservatives in Westminster to centralise and dismiss local public sector jobs.”

However Conservative candidate for the Welsh Assembly Elections, Andrew Atkinson said: “These reforms are part of a package to modernise our courts system, whilst retaining appropriate access to justice, which is critical.

“The Tribunal and Hearing Centre was utilised at only 12% capacity in 2014/15; so the proposals to move its services to Wrexham Law Courts and Mold Law Courts seem sensible and will save taxpayers money.

“The court at Bodhyfryd is centrally located; and I will endeavour to work with partners to ensure access to Mold Law Courts, where required, is promoted and widely understood, although a presence for most services would be much better at Wrexham than Mold, as Wrexham serves a large area already.”

More reaction shortly…