More than £51,000 of public money has been "wasted" on maintaining the disused Burton Magistrates' Court for just four months, the Burton Mail can reveal. The Grade II listed building, in Horninglow Street, controversially closed in September last year as part of a cost-cutting measure by the Courts and Tribunals Service but now it has emerged that money is still being poured into maintaining the historic venue.
Campaigners who fought to keep the building open have called the money "a waste". However, the Courts and Tribunals Service said the maintenance of the building is "necessary" to ensure the property is secure to allow for sale.
The figure has been revealed following a Freedom of Information request submitted by the Burton Mail. The request asked for the total cost of maintaining the court building following its closure on September 30, 2016, to February 1, this year.
A report with the information supplied said: "At present, between October 1, 2016 and January 31, this year, the costs incurred were estimated at £51,000. This figure includes rates, utilities, telecoms and payments for maintenance of the property through our contractor.
"The figure represents the current costs and not the final costs. It includes standard charges where the Courts and Tribunals Services expects to receive credits as a result of the reduced level of service since the court has closed. Maintenance of buildings that are closed is necessary to ensuring the property is kept secure to allow for disposal in the future."
Victims and witnesses, as well as defendants and solicitors involved in Burton cases, now have to travel to Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court, while Uttoxeter cases are dealt with at North Staffordshire Justice Centre, in Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Tamworth cases heard at Cannock Magistrates' Court.
Campaigners Matt Long and Andrew Bettridge encouraged 2,000 people to back their petition
Campaigners against the closure of the court said it marked the end of local justice for the town after more than 106 years, and disputed claims by the courts service that Burton's court was underused.
The courts and tribunals service decided to close the court based on its 'underuse' despite a Freedom of Information request by the Burton Mail, submitted last year, which revealed it had dealt with more cases in the past 12 months compared to five years previously. The service also said that money was being invested into technology which now enables some defendants to enter pleas via email and cases heard via video links.
Andrew Bettridge, who launched a petition against the closure which was backed by 2,000 signatures , said of the latest figure: "It is a lot of public money being wasted to keep a maintained building closed and it is really important they find a use for the building sooner rather than later. We don't want to be having a repeat of what has happened with the county courts."
Burton solicitor Neil O'Driscoll was also an avid voice of criticism behind the closure and said: "It does seem a lot for an empty, unused building. It would seem that £150,000, if you extrapolate the £51,000 over a 12-month period, to keep a perfectly usable building empty, is not the best use of public funds. The reason given for the closure in the first place."
A look back at Burton Magistrates' Court through the ages
The court was one of 91 across the country that faced closure, which was later reduced to 86. The Courts and Tribunals service said it cost £200,000 a year to maintain the Grade I Listed building, a cost, the Burton Mail predicted, it would still have to pick up after its closure due to its listed building requirements.
The service said at the time that better technology means court attendance was not always needed and some defendants could enter their plea online.
The closure was also supported by Staffordshire Police, which said: "Local justice can be achieved without the requirement of a court building."
The building is still not on the market.
The history of Burton Magistrates' Court
Opened in 1910, the court was designed by the architect Henry Beck, and built by the company Richard Kershaw and Sons. While tourists, and residents, look upon the domed building outside in awe, it is the inside – with the very impressive magistrate's chair with Baroque styling based on the design of the Old Bailey - that needs to be seen to be believed.
A three-tonne foundation stone was laid by Alderman Charles Tresise (mayor of Burton) on May 24, 1909, a stone which still takes pride of place at the front of building.
The original building, once complete, housed one large courtroom measuring 40ft by 31ft and one smaller courtroom measuring 32 feet square. There was also rooms built for the magistrates, the magistrates' clerks and the witnesses.
Despite the industrial landscape surrounding it, the Grade II court building stills remains a landmark in the town. Many will have seen the large wooden door for the 'public' outside marking the original entrance, alongside the door for 'justices'.
Burton's court is based on the Old Bailey
Adjourning the court was the new and improved police station with the usual mess rooms and changing quarters as well as living quarters for 10 single constables. A mortuary would also be built along with kennels for stray animals and a 'lethal chamber' for animals which needed to be destroyed.
The police station was later replaced by the one we see today which became operational in 1998. And despite a £400,000 extension to the court for another two courtrooms, Burton Magistrates' building would remain the same.
Its two-storey extension, in 1989, was expected to 'boost efficiency and relieve congestion for staff, solicitors and the public'. The building included a general office, an extra courtroom and rooms for court officials and solicitors.
The project meant that staff would be able to handle accounts, fines, fees and maintenance payments within the new complex.
With the closure of Tamworth Magistrates' Court in 2011, all cases were transferred to Burton – making it busier than ever. However, instead of extending the court further, the courts and tribunals service closed it and investing more than £700 million to reform and digitise its courts across the UK to deliver swifter justice.
