Wrexham’s magistrates court £5.4m improvements ‘will be delivered by Spring 2021’

Wrexham Magistrates’ Court will undergo £5.4m worth of renovations to boost capacity, improve accessibility, and “deliver more trials”.

The Ministry of Justice say the project will see a new, state-of-the-art two-storey custody suite built, which will securely detain more defendants and keep the public safe – something that was confirmed back in 2017 to then MP Ian Lucas.

The plans to build a new cell block and entrance at Wrexham Magistrates Court have were given the go ahead by the Planning Committee back in October. Plans for the new cells were submitted for consideration back in 2017, but a decision was delayed due to concerns over the loss of trees nearby.

As Wrexham.com have long documented until new facilities are built, all custodial cases are being dealt with in Mold rather than Wrexham – causing a great deal of inconvenience to witnesses, victims of crime and local solicitors, as well as defendants and has saw the future of the court called into question.

Today’s announcement is the first that puts a price tag on the plans, and states the upgrade will be delivered by Spring 2021, and is the first milestone in the £142 million investment by UK Government to “improve and modernise courtrooms across England and Wales”.

UK Government Courts Minister, Chris Philp, said: “This investment will allow Wrexham Magistrates’ Courts to better serve its community, delivering jobs locally and dramatically enhancing its ability to hear more cases.

“It is the just the latest example of our commitment to give courts the resources needed to uphold the rule of law and deliver swifter justice for victims.”

The plans seek to help modernise the court and will consider sustainability initiatives to improve the energy performance of the building and reduce its impact on the environment. The work will be completed by local contractors where possible, delivering jobs and investment to the area.