Council anger over 50-mile court trips from Telford

Telford & Wrekin Council’s Labour leader Shaun Davies said the round trip to Kidderminster, which could last up to three hours, is “almost impossible” for concerned parents.

He offered to co-write a letter with opposition leaders to the Ministry of Justice, opposing the centralisation of remand hearings.

West Mercia Youth Offending Service head Keith Barham told the meeting the trip to Kidderminster “does cause greater inconvenience”, but said only “very small numbers” of 10- to 17-year-olds face such hearings.

Telford and Wrekin Council’s nine-member cabinet was discussing the 2018-19 Youth Justice Plan, co-authored by Mr Barham.

Councillor Paul Watling, the portfolio holder for children’s help and support, said there was a lot of positive news in the report.

“First-time entrants to the justice system were 304 per 100,000 10-to 17-year-olds, down from 478 in 2016,” he said.

“In 2017 there were just five custodial sentences in Telford and Wrekin, a rate of 0.30, which compares favourably with the national rate, 0.39.”

But, he said, neither the council nor the West Mercia Youth Justice Service Management Board could be complacent.

“I’m also going to ask them to look at the extra pressures placed on the system by the centralisation of remand cases at Kidderminster, which is causing us some real problems,” he said.

“For our young people, this only increases the strain on them.

“For that justice not to be local justice, I think, is appalling.

Unanimous

“I think the Ministry of Justice should think again about those changes.”

Conservative leader Councillor Andrew Eade said: “I agree with that. It adds extra pressures to the system. It doesn’t help with natural justice.

“I think we put a motion to full council about this some time ago that received unanimous support. I wonder if we could do something similar between us and we actually start to pursue this.

“I don’t think this is helpful to an area like Telford, or Shropshire at all.”

Councillor Shaun Davies, who leads the ruling Labour group and works as a solicitor, said he and Conservative Shropshire Council leader Peter Nutting raised the issue with Justice Secretary David Gauke when he visited in August.

“He said he was keeping an active review on this change,” Cllr Davies said.

“We get the same line from government, ‘It’s all about local decision-making’, but of course the government are responsible for the smooth and effective running of our courts.

“It’s a crying shame Shropshire is the only county in England not to have a fully-functioning magistrates court.

“If you are a concerned mum or dad of a young child who has got themselves into trouble, getting to Kidderminster is almost impossible.

“I do hope the government intervene. I am more than happy, Andrew (Eade), to pen a letter to the government with you and Bill (Councillor Bill Tomlinson, Liberal Democrat leader).”

He also suggested inviting Cllr Nutting, Herefordshire’s Conservative leader Jonathan Lester and West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion to co-sign the letter, “just to undermine the importance”.

Cabinet approved the youth justice plan, and the full council will discuss it at a later date.

By Alex Moore, local democracy reporter