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Video: Hazel on Salford's courthouse blues
by Tom Rodgers
With 150 magistrates courts across the country at threat of government cuts, we took to Chapel Street to interview Hazel Blears to find out the latest on the bid to hold on to Salford's courts. Salford Magistrates Court at Bexley Square, Chapel Street is housed in Salford Town Hall, parts of which date back to 1825. A new courthouse was planned for Eccles, but the idea flopped after £30m of government funding was withdrawn. This leaves Salford courts hanging in the balance; the coalition government have said they need to save £15m from the use of magistrates courts across England. So the most likely option at present is that all of Salford's court functions will be collapsed into Manchester. The functions of the County Court off Eccles old Road would also be moved to Manchester under current proposals. This will end the administering of local justice in Salford after an incredible 1000 years. Salford's courts are the second-largest at threat in the country in terms of workload. As a pioneer of community and restorative justice this move would surely damage the reputation of the city of Salford. It could also lead to poorer-quality justice from Manchester magistrates who aren't aware of the specialist local knowledge of the issues Salford people face. An offical survey undertaken by the courthouse at Bexley Square noted that £4m needs to be found over the next 3 years to refurbish the building. Central Salford URC are handling the £650m regeneration of Chapel Street, but it is unclear at this stage what their plans are for the courthouse. David Lancaster, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party at the Council thinks that renting out part of the courthouse as office space would cut costs and provide the courts with enough revenue to remain open. [see link below to hear the whole interview] Councillor Lancaster, along with Salford MP Hazel Blears and leader of the Salford Conservative Party Councillor Karen Garrido, will travel to London to put the case to the government. On September 6 the delegation will meet with the parliamentary under-secretary at the Ministry of Justice.
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