A NORTH Yorkshire MP is to meet with the Justice Minister to highlights concerns over current proposals to close Northallerton Magistrates' Court.

Richmond MP Rishi Sunak will meet Justice Minister Lucy Frazer over the current consultation to close the courthouse on Racecourse Lane and transfer the work to courts in York, Harrogate, Skipton and Teesside Magistrates Court in Middlesbrough.

A public consultation on the move is being run by the Ministry of Justice over the next couple of months.

Mr Sunak said he had some concerns about how defendants, witnesses and victims from his constituency would access the other courts.

He was also concerned that the consultation document appeared to contain incorrect data.

A table in the document estimates it takes people nearly two hours – an hour and 48 minutes – to reach Northallerton by car from Richmond. According to Google, the 16 to 18 mile journey takes just 30 minutes.

Mr Sunak also intends to ask the Justice Minister about the future of the court staff affected.

"I have some concerns about some of the practicalities for my constituents who might be expected to travel to York, Harrogate, Skipton or Middlesbrough by public transport for a court hearing at 10am and also some of the data which appears to be wrong," said the MP

He also wanted to know why Darlington Magistrates’ Court was not being considered as an alternative court for hearing cases from the northern part of the constituency.

The proposal to close the court at Northallerton is part of what the Ministry of Justice described as a modernisation of the justice system in the UK.

It estimates it costs approximately £140,000 a year to run the court and proceeds from the sale of the building will form part of the government’s £1bn investment in reforming court and tribunal services throughout the country.

The consultation document says as well as seeking views on whether Northallerton Magistrates' Court should be closed, it is also seeking feedback on the proposed reallocation of work and any options which might work.

It is the latest public building to close in Northallerton, North Yorkshire’s administrative centre.

In December 2013 Northallerton Prison was closed and the following year the Rural Payments Agency, which administers £2bn of Common Agriculture Policy cash to farmers and those in agriculture, closed its Northallerton office.

Mr Sunak will meet Ms Frazer later this month.

This consultation and consultation stage Impact Assessment are available on the Ministry of Justice website; gov.uk/moj.