New custody facilities to be built at town’s Magistrates Court securing its future

The UK Government has revealed proposals for new cells at Wrexham Magistrates Court have been given the go-ahead, following a letter to local MP Ian Lucas.

Wrexham’s current police station, the ‘iconic’ tower block on Bodhyfryd, is set to be demolished next summer – with the new state-of-the-art headquarters set to be operational by August 2018. Once open the new police HQ building will provide modern custody facilities with 32 cells to detain people arrested in Wrexham and Flintshire.

A smaller, town centre base is currently being constructed in the former Oriel Wrecsam in the Library – however there is no link to the Magistrates Court – raising questions over the future of the courts without cells, as we wrote the link to the police station will remain in place without the police station on the other end.

Today’s news was revealed in a letter to Wrexham MP Ian Lucas, who has been pushing the Government to make a firm commitment to providing new cells at Wrexham’s Magistrates Court after the town’s main police station is closed next year.

In the letter, a Ministry of Justice official states: “I am pleased to inform you that proposals to create new custody facilities at Wrexham Law Courts have cleared internal governance and will now be progressed into a full programme.

“HMCTS is committed to the continual provision of criminal justice services in Wrexham and the decision to construct new custody facilities at Wrexham demonstrates this commitment.”

The decision has been welcomed by Mr Lucas, who has been pushing the Government for months to make clear if they intend to build new cells in Wrexham.

He said: “The news that a decision on building these cells has finally been made is very welcome – however long it has taken.

“The area around Wrexham’s Law Courts is set to change dramatically in the next few years, and without a firm commitment form the Government to provide new cells, many in Wrexham’s legal profession were concerned that the future of the courts could have been put at risk.

“Wrexham is the largest town in North Wales, and deserves appropriate services. Government departments need to recognise this, and I am pleased that the Ministry of Justice has made clear its commitment to the town.”