The following tables detail (a) the magistrates court closures that the Department has been notified of since May 1997 and (b) the county court closures since May 1997.
Up until 1 April 2005 magistrates courts were the responsibility of locally managed magistrates courts committees who were statutorily independent. They were not required by statute to inform the Department of any magistrates courts closures that were not subject to an appeal under section 56 (3) of the Justices of the Peace Act 1997 (now repealed).
Against this picture, since May 1997 a number of new courthouses have been built, which has improved the standard of facilities provided to court users.
Courthouse closed Date of closure 1997 Bromsgrove 31 May 1997 Ledbury 31 May 1997 Hebburn 5 June 1997 South Shields (Kepple Street) 5 June 1997 Chippenham (Market Place) 30 June 1997 Ashton Under Lyne (Manchester Road) 31 August 1997 Duckinsfield 31 August 1997 Thorne 31 August 1997 Pontardawe 9 October 1997 Braintree 31 December 1997 Stokeley 31 December 1997 Clacton on Sea 31 December 1997 Bargoed 31 December 1997 Monmouth 31 December 1997 Pontlottyn 31 December 1997 Pontypool 31 December 1997 1998 Malton 6 February 1998 Marlborough Street 31 March 1998 Bishop’s Stortford 31 March 1998 Hatfield 31 March 1998 Hitchin 31 March 1998 Market Rasen 31 March 1998 Chertsey 31 March 1998 Farnham 31 March 1998 Oxted 31 March 1998 Lutterworth 31 July1998 Ripon 1 August 1998 Barnard Castle 31 December 1998 Clerkenwell 31 December 1998 Sheerness 31 December 1998 West Malling 31 December 1998 Lytham 31 December 1998 Diss 31 December 1998 Corwen 31 December 1998 Felixstowe 31 December 1998 Haverhill 31 December 1998 Saxmundam 31 December 1998 Stowmarket 31 December 1998 Newmarket 31 December 1998 March 31 December 1998 Saffron Walden 31 December 1998 1999 Christchurch 31 March 1999 Abingdon 31 March 1999 Henley on Thames 31 March 1999 Windsor 31 March 1999 Morley 31 March 1999 Pudsey 31 March 1999 Stow on the Wold 30 June 1999 2000 Ampthill 1 January 2000 Biggleswade 1 January 2000 Dunstable 1 January 2000 Leighton Buzzard 1 January 2000 Lichfield 31 March 2000 Keighley 1 April 2000 Keswick 30 April 2000 Windermere 31 May 2000 Wigton 31 May 2000 Appleby 31 May 2000 Gravesend 9 June 2000 Wootton Bassett 2 October 2000 Abergele 31 December 2000 2001 Alfreton 1 January 2001 Ashbourne 1 January 2001 Bakewell 1 January 2001 Matlock 1 January 2001 Leigh 31 March 2001 Middleton 31 March 2001 Leek 31 March 2001 Worcester 31 March 2001 Warrington Patten Hall 1 April 2001 Macclesfield Park Green 1 April 2001 Bideford 30 April 2001 Exmouth 30 April 2001 Kingsbridge 30 April 2001 South Molton 30 April 2001 Teignmouth 30 April 2001 Tavistock 30 April 2001 Axminster 4 May 2001 Tiverton 4 May 2001 Newquay 30 June 2001 Southampton (Commercial Road) 31 August 2001 Womborne 1 September 2001 Gillingham 30 September 2001 Bridlington 9 November 2001 Brough 9 November 2001 Driffield 9 November 2001 Hull (Guildhall) 9 November 2001 Hull (Lowgate) 9 November 2001 Pocklington 9 November 2001 Withensea 9 November 2001 Arundel 1 December 2001 2002 Bridgenorth 31 January 2002 Leominster 31 January 2002 Fakenham 1 May 2002 Tunbridge Wells 2 June 2002 Beaconsfield 1 July 2002 Buckingham 1 July 2002 Evesham 30 November 2002 2003 Thame 31 January 2003 Droitwitch 21 March 2003 Machynlleth 21 March 2003 Chester Le Street 21 March 2003 Rugeley 21 May 2003 Lampeter 9 June 2003 Tenby 30 June 2003 Camberley 30 June 2003 Trowbridge 30 September 2003 Whitchurch 3 October 2003 Long Sutton 31 October 2003 Caistor 31 December 2003 Horncastle 31 December 2003 2004 Richmond 31 March 2004 Stourbridge 23 June 2004 2006 Wetherby 7 March 2006
Court Date of closure 1997 Andover 30 June 1997 Braintree 1 December 1997 Bishop’s Stortford 1 December 1997 Alnwick 15 December 1997 Blyth 15 December 1997 Berwick upon Tweed 15 December 1997 Bridlington 24 December 1997 1998 Rochdale 7 September 1998 Holywell 7 September 1998 Camborne and Redruth 24 December 1998 Hemel Hempstead 24 December 1998 West Bromwich 24 December 1998 Loughborough 31 December 1998 1999 Corby (local sittings on trial basis to July 1999) 1 March 1999 Bridgwater 20 December 1999 2000 Great Yarmouth 31 January 2000 Grays Thurrock 31 January 2000 Lichfield 3 July 2000 Caerphilly 30 November 2000 2001 Workington 2 January 2001 2002 Chepstow 1 April 2002 Monmouth 1 April 2002