Telford Magistrates Court to lose admin department

The Ministry of Justice says the move will make room for Telford County Court, which is due to be moved into the building later this year, and that courtroom staff will be unaffected.

Telford is the last remaining magistrates court in the county, following the closure of Shrewsbury Magistrates Court last year.

The ministry said the changes will not impact on court hearings.

It said a small number of court staff will be relocated elsewhere within the business.

Work took place to build a new entrance at Telford Magistrates Court earlier this year.

The MoJ, which submitted the plans, said the work was needed to cope with the extra numbers using the building, as well as improving disabled access.

The plans were passed under delegated powers by Telford & Wrekin Council, with officers saying that they would enhance the use of the building.

The work included installing a set of automatic doors to enable better access.

Shrewsbury lost its magistrates court in March last year when it was one of 65 courts across England and Wales to be closed by the Ministry of Justice.

The closure has forced those living in the north and south of the county to travel to Telford for magistrates court hearings.

Last year, the Shropshire branch of the Magistrates’ Association objected to the closure on the basis that it would restrict access to justice by making it difficult or impossible for some people to get to Telford by 9.30am.

In its response a statement from the Ministry of Justice said it accepted that some people would face increased travel times, but that people could make individual applications to have their cases heard at different times.