Liberal Democrat calls for political rivals to work together on new court proposal

An opposition councillor is calling for political rivals to work together to secure a new court complex for Sunderland.
Coun Niall Hodson at the site of the proposed combined court centre at Farringdon Row.Coun Niall Hodson at the site of the proposed combined court centre at Farringdon Row.
Coun Niall Hodson at the site of the proposed combined court centre at Farringdon Row.

The calls from Liberal Democrat Coun Niall Hodson come in the wake of Sunderland Labour MPs Bridget Phillipson and Julie Elliott speaking on the issue in the House of Commons yesterday.

Ms Phillipson, MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, and Ms Elliott MP, for Sunderland Central, urged government ministers at the Ministry of Justice to give a commitment to start works on a new combined crown, county and magistrates court in the city.Plans were first put forward in 2009 for a new court complex to be built on the empty Farringdon Row site which lies next to Galleys Gill, the Vaux site and the Millfield and Ayres Quay area. Seven years on, there has been little or no progress.

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Coun Hodson - whose Millfield ward covers the site - says that Sunderland City Council, MPs and all political parties should come together to present a united front in pushing the Government for a deal

He raised the issue with council leader Paul Watson, during a recent meeting of the full council, and has also teamed up with Liberal Democrat peer Lord Shipley, to raise the issue in the House of Lords.

Coun Hodson said: "I have been raising this matter with Sunderland City Council to see what talks they have had with the Government to get this development off the ground, and I have also been working with Liberal Democrat colleagues in the House of Lords to put pressure on the Ministry of Justice there.

"It is encouraging to see that Sunderland's MPs are still pursuing the issue in the House of Commons too.

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"Sunderland Council tells me that the Ministry of Justice are likely to make a decision about the future of the site in this financial year - so its critical that everyone who wants to see this site developed - at council level and at Westminster - keep up the pressure on government ministers over the next few weeks and months so we have the best chance of getting a new court complex for our city approved.

"Liberal Democrats are continuing to urge the Government to go ahead with this project so that we can have a modern court in Sunderland that is fit for purpose, and that attracts new jobs to our city centre. With work finally due to start on the Vaux site next door, we desperately need to know if the Government are going to approve a new combined Crown, County and Magistrates Court that would develop this key regeneration site between Millfield and the city centre."

The court complex would replace the ageing Magistrates Court building in Keel Square, which is considered unfit for purpose, as well as Sunderland County Court in John Street.

The development would also provide a crown court in Sunderland for the first time, while t is expected that the combined court complex would attract new jobs in the legal sector to the city centre.