Britain’s top Government minister responsible for courts is “concerned” about steps to close Spalding’s court house.
South Holland and The Deepings MP John Hayes met the Lord Chancellor, the Rt Hon Chris Grayling, after Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service admitted it is doing a listings review taking into account “changing workloads”.
Most Spalding court sittings have been stripped out this year and, after the end of October, it will open only on Thursdays.
Mr Hayes said: “I spoke to the Lord Chancellor about the magistrates’ court and I explained that I was aware that there was no pressure coming from the Government to close the court.
“I said I was concerned that due to some undesirable local decision making, based on imperfect advice, that we might suffer closure by stealth or the court would go into abeyance. Obviously he was concerned about that.”
Mr Hayes agreed to set out his case in a letter to the Lord Chancellor.
The MP said: “Access to justice matters to the Government and there is no Government plan to close the magistrates’ court.”
He says switching Spalding’s workload to other courts means it will do less and less.