Preston Court relocation mystery
The Ministry of Justice has applied for planning permission to convert part of the Marshall House office block on Ringway to accommodate four hearing rooms
Mystery surrounds the identity of two of the three Lancashire courts that could move to a temporary facility in Preston.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has applied for planning permission to convert part of the Marshall House office block on Ringway to accommodate four hearing rooms, which will be used only for “lower-risk” cases from relocated family or magistrates’ courts.
The government department says the additional judicial space is being sought because of “essential roof repairs” required at a trio of the county’s court buildings.
However, when asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) which existing courts might be decamping to the Preston site, the MoJ identified one – but was silent about the other two.
The Leyland Family Hearing Centre, on Lancastergate in the town, was named as one of the facilities that would be on the move, should Preston City Council give the go-ahead to the Marshall House conversion across three of its nine storeys.
But, after repeated requests, the MoJ refused to reveal the other courts that would also be rehoused – and then declined to explain publicly why it would not say.
An obvious contender would be Preston’s own magistrates’ court, which stands just yards from Marshall House on the opposite corner of Lawson Street. In 2023, that building was found to contain the unsafe material dubbed ‘crumbling concrete’ and was shut for around four months from September that year to enable mitigation work to take place.
As part of a nationwide assessment of court buildings undertaken at that time, the only other in Lancashire where reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) – as it is officially known – was discovered was Blackpool Magistrates’ and County Court. That structure, on Chapel Street, was already due to be replaced and so was closed permanently, earlier than planned, in January 2024. But as the newly-built complex – at the junction of Talbot Road and Devonshire Road – is scheduled to open shortly, those facilities are unlikely to be in need of a temporary berth in Preston.
While the MoJ has identified only one of the courts that will be temporarily rehomed, it is understood that the planned work at the existing sites will be undertaken one project after another over a period of years. That suggests only one set of court facilities will occupy Marshall House at any one time.
If the blueprint for the building is approved, the ground, second and third floors will be repurposed as court accommodation. Other parts of the block are – and would continue to be – occupied by operations including Preston’s driving test theory centre, firms of solicitors and a training facility.
The proposal would “reinforce Preston’s established role as a focus for legal, administrative and public services, while generating activity and footfall that would support the vitality of the city centre”, the MoJ said in a submission to city council planners.
In a statement to the LDRS, a spokesperson for the department said: “Essential roof repairs are taking place across three court buildings in Lancashire, and we are exploring options for temporary accommodation in the area while works take place.”
Security plans for makeshift court
In its planning application, the government says His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) has carried out a security and health and safety assessment, which considered “the suitability” of Marshall House as an alternative court.
“The assessment identifies a series of physical and operational requirements, including security-searching facilities on the hearing floors, CCTV, panic alarms, secure judicial and staff areas, controlled access arrangements, further security audits and liaison with the landlord and Lancashire Police,” the documentation states.
“The final fit-out and layouts will incorporate the assessment’s recommendations and will be reviewed and approved by the relevant HMCTS security officer before occupation.
“Only appropriately risk-assessed, lower-risk Family and Magistrates’ Court cases will be listed at the premises, and all required security controls and operating procedures will be in place before the courts become operational. Subject to these measures, the identified residual risks are considered capable of being appropriately managed,” it adds.
At ground floor level, no physical alterations are planned, with the existing reception arrangement due to be retained.
The proposed changes to the first and third floors include the introduction, on each of them, of two hearing rooms, a judicial room, waiting area and secure corridors.