THE Ministry of Justice is proposing to close Northallerton Magistrates Court – but its analysis states it is quicker for some people living near the town to reach Middlesbrough.

The proposal to close Northallerton Magistrates Court involves transferring its work between magistrates courts at York, Harrogate, Skipton and Middlesbrough.

It is currently running a consultation over the proposal.

But a table which compares estimated travel times from local towns which currently use the court, appears to show it takes people one hour and 48 minutes to travel the 19 miles from Richmond to Northallerton. It also estimates it takes just under three hours by public transport, at two hours 52 minutes.

According to Google maps the 16 to 18 miles between the two towns takes just 32 minutes by car.

The table then compares this to the estimated 45 minutes it takes people in Richmond to travel 28 miles to Middlesbrough.

The proposal to close the court at Northallerton is part of a “modernisation” of the justice system in the UK by the Ministry of Justice. It estimates it costs approximately £140,000 a year to run the court.

The consultation is to run for ten weeks and will seek the views of everyone with an interest in the work of the courts in question. 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.

During the 2016/17 financial year, operating costs of Northallerton Magistrates’ Court were approximately £140,000.

Proceeds from the sale of the building would form part of the government’s £1bn investment in reforming court and tribunal services throughout the country.

Justice Minister Lucy Frazer said: “This government is investing over £1billion to reform and modernise the justice system – making it more convenient, easier to use, and providing better value for the taxpayer.

“As we increase the use of digital services, it makes sense to consider the wider role and need for Court buildings and assess whether some are still necessary to provide effective access to justice.

"Where physical courts are to close, every penny raised will be put back into funding changes which will make justice easier to access for all at the same time as offering protections for the most vulnerable.”