LAUNCESTON Magistrates' Court in Dunheved Road has been "closed temporarily" or mothballed while a review is carried out by East Cornwall Magistrates officials. But the Town Mayor claims they have already made up their minds to close it for good, writes Keith Whitford.

Launceston, once the capital of Cornwall (until 1835) originally held an assize court — the modern equivalent being the Crown Court now held in Truro — but a court official says there is "no formal closure of Launceston (court) at this stage."

The building where the court sits is shared with the register office and Social Services.

The last sitting before the "temporary closure" took place on Monday, April 13, when the three-strong magistrates' bench dealt with several motoring cases, including drivers accused of speeding and having no insurance.

The court clerk decined to comment but referred the 'Post' to Angela May, the court manager at Bodmin.

Mrs May explained that they were undertaking major building work at the Bodmin complex, which houses four court rooms — Launceston has one plus a witness room — and the County Court at Market Street, Bodmin was being re-located in the Bodmin court complex and the building disposed of.

"Launceston is temporarily not going to be listed while we review our whole estate.

"There is no formal closure at Launceston at this stage."

'PUBLIC

CONSULTATION'

She added that the Lanceston court sat on one day a week and for between two to five hours in all.

They could not say if closure of the Launceston court was a possibility but full public consultation would take place on any proposals made in the review.

Two court rooms were also available at Liskeard.

She said many cases had to go to Bodmin for first hearing in any case and Launceston court could not take remand prisoners, in addition to the fact that a number of motoring trials sometimes collapsed at Launceston.

"We can't have remand prisoners (at Launceston) as there are no cell facilities."

This is a reference to EU regulations which meant the end of remand prisoner cases as the prisoners were not permitted to be taken through a few feet of public space.

The Launceston court room is also used occasionally for inquest hearings held by the Cornwall coroner, whose office is based in Truro.

The Mayor of Launceston, Cllr Eric Chapman told the 'Post': "They are going to close the court — this is just a polite way of saying they are going to do it.

"It is signed and settled already. It is just like they did with the Launceston Tax Office, the Social Security and North Cornwall District Council.

"You can protest and do as much as you like but they have already made up their minds and Launceston is going to be the loser.

"It brings in a certain amount of business. With the development at Bodmin they have had closure in mind. They are going to do it.

Consultation and review means nothing — just a polite way of doing it. They have made up their mind a long time beforehand."