New year decision over Sandwell Magistrates Court closure

A public consultation on the plans to shut the court has now ended, with Ministry of Justice bosses examining the feedback before they come to a final decision.

Legal professionals and local politicians have criticised the proposals to close the court on Oldbury Ringway. It is one of 14 in the Midlands which could be axed to save money.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "The consultation ended on October 18 and we are now looking at all the consultation responses. We will be looking to publish a decision early next year."

The court has been earmarked for closure as Government bosses feel it is underused. In 2014/15, the building cost £407,000 to run but was only used to 47 per cent of its total capacity.

If the court does close, it would make Sandwell the only borough in the Black Country without one.

Sandwell's workload would transfer to Walsall Magistrates' Court and more than 21 jobs would be affected by the closure.

Sandwell councillor Joanne Hadley believes the change would make it more difficult to people to get to court.

She said: "How are they going to get to Walsall? A lot of these people don't have very much money. It's just going to make it harder for people to get there. There is also the police, if they have to go, it is further for them and out of their area. It's more time they haven't really got on limited resources."

Labour's deputy leader and MP for West Bromwich East Tom Watson has been highly critical of the move, labelling the proposal 'completely illogical'.

He said: "We've gone full circle from a new court being proposed on Spon Lane in West Bromwich - which the government axed in the last Parliament - to a proposal to close the only court in Sandwell.

"The Government state that Sandwell Magistrates' Court is underutilised, yet at the same time work is being transferred to other courts. More cases could be referred to Sandwell but the government seem intent on implementing a policy to ensure its decline."

The Law Society also said the closure of the building would make it more difficult for people to get to court and 'deepen inequalities' within the justice system.