Salford council could spend £4m revamping the city’s magistrates courts to save them from closure.
The idea is being discussed with the government and councillors will meet parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Justice, Jonathan Djanogly, next month.
The Bexley Square building is on a hit-list of more than 150 across England and Wales which could close under the government’s budget cuts.
The ageing landmark was to be replaced by a new £20m justice centre in Eccles. But those plans were shelved this year by the-then Justice Secretary Jack Straw because of the economic climate.
The Grade II-listed courts are in urgent need of modernisation. Parts of the building, formerly Salford town hall, date from 1825.
A survey has established that £4m would have to be spent over the next three years on repairs and maintenance.
Salford and Eccles MP Hazel Blears, who set up the meeting, said: "I am concerned that we retain a magistrates court service in Salford for Salford people."
She said the courts in the city had pioneered the community justice initiative, special domestic violence courts and a scheme in restorative justice.
The Public and Commercial Services union, which represents court workers, is throwing its weight behind a campaign against the closure.
Bryan Hedges, union spokesman in Salford, said: "Access to justice has to mean local access.
"This proposal takes no account of the value of local services and assumes that provision of service in the middle of Manchester will do.
"This is an outrageous attack on the citizens of Salford and our justice system. Not everyone has their own car or more money to pay for extra travel costs or for someone to mind their children for the extra time required if the courts in Salford are closed.
"The proposal takes no account of the schools project run by volunteers and the dedicated drug worker scheme."
In June, the M.E.N revealed that a senior court officer had warned staff in an email: "So great is the pressure on finances that the prospect of a new build or even refurbishment look increasingly problematic."
John Foley, area director of the courts service, then warned staff of the likely closure on a visit to the city.
Salford city council deputy leader and lead member for community safety, Coun David Lancaster added: "The city council has made it quite clear that we believe Salford should keep its magistrates’ court.
"We will be putting our case to the minister as strongly as we can and I welcome all the support we are getting."
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And so it should be after the council wasted money repaving outside and putting stupid blue lights on the floor!
I think that salford council money would be better spent elsewhere! close the court down and them to manchester!
Civic pride aside, the travel and justice concerns surrounding the final closure of the court are easily dismissed. The current location is already only just within Salford and right on the doorstep of city centre Manchester; the court is not conveniently located for most people in the City of Salford area as it is now; a transfer of cases to a central Manchester location would make little or no difference to travelling times and convenience.
The argument regarding the economic/employment benefits of keeping and refurbishing the current court is also weak; indeed, from a financial standpoint it makes no sense to carry on at the current location - even without refurbishment, let alone if it is refurbished at Salford taxpayers' expense.
The quote from the court workers' union spokesman is the first time I've ever heard any concern for ordinary Salfordians coming from court staff. It is probable that most of the staff at Salford Mags view most Salfordians as scum and that most Salfordians find the staff at Salford Mags to be as unhelpful as they can get away with being.
On a charge of being a gross waste of public money, I find Salford Magistrates' Court... Guilty as charged. To refurbish Salford Magistrates' Court would be a further crime against the taxpayer... I therefore issue a Restraining Order to prohibit any such stupidity in the current financial climate.
Let the business of the Salford Bench be dealt with a mile away in city centre Manchester - it makes a lot of sense.
"This is an outrageous attack on the citizens of Salford and our justice system. Not everyone has their own car or more money to pay for extra travel costs or for someone to mind their children for the extra time required if the courts in Salford are closed"
Erm.....Manchester magistrates is Bryan Hedges from Salford? You would have throught he would be aware that once you are at Salford Magistrates, Manchester mag's is only a five minutes walk. It seems some people are very pro-active when it comes to the dishing out of fines in Salford, but not so when it came to the closing of Hopes maternity unit - which many people liken to a kind of genocide of a city - being that with no baby unit, there might never be another actual Salfordian.
No comment from Mark Armstrong here? Well I am surprised!