On 18th August 2015, Jo Churchill MP wrote to Secretary of State for Justice, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP about the proposed closure of the Magistrates’ Court in Bury St Edmunds.
Mrs Churchill said: “My priority is that access to justice remains local. It is not right that my constituents should have to travel across the county to access the Justice services they pay for. However, the current Court service costs nearly £250,000 to operate, at a usage of only 39%.
It is apparent that an excellent opportunity exists to relocate the Court to the Public Service Village in Western Way, delivering better accommodation for the Court, more cost efficient services across the board and ensuring that justice services remain in Bury. I have therefore written to the Secretary of State, asking him to look into this.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
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Press inquiries: 020 7219 8487
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Letter attached
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The consultation closes on 8th October and can be found at: https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/proposal-on-the-provision-of-court-and-tribunal-es/user_uploads/reform-estates-national-consultation_official-sensitive_final.pdf