EFFORTS must be made to ensure Bury has enough court provision, according to MP David Nuttall.

Bury Magistrates’ Court and Bury County Court, which are at Bury Courthouse in Tenters Street, are set to close in April, with all cases moved to Salford Magistrates’ Court.

It also emerged this week that cases related to Bury incidents that currently progress to Bolton Crown Court will instead go to Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester city centre.

Bury North MP Mr Nuttall and Bury South MP Ivan Lewis took part in a Ministry of Justice consultation before the decision to close Bury Magistrates’ Court was made, arguing that it should stay open.

In Parliament on September 6, Mr Nuttall asked new justice minister Oliver Heald: “What assessment have you made of the adequacy of court provision in Bury?”

Mr Heald replied: “There is, and there will be, an appropriate level of court provision for the people at Bury.”

Previously, the Ministry of Justice said Bury Magistrates’ Court is being run at 51 per cent capacity and suggested that it would be a more efficient use of resources to move cases to Manchester.

Mr Nuttall replied that it was vital that court provision was on the agenda for Bury.

He said: “I warmly welcome Mr Heald to his new role and thank him for that brief reply.

“Although court provision might be regarded as adequate now, it is important that it continues to be adequate in the future.

“I ask the new Lord Chancellor Elizabeth Truss and her ministerial team to look again at the proposals for north Manchester and, in particular, at the consequential effects on the police budget, given that the police will be faced with longer journey times when they attend court.”

Bury Courthouse employs 35 staff who work with magistrates’ hearings and 15 staff who work on country-court hearings. Staff in the courthouse have already been told that, thankfully, no jobs will be lost due to the shake-up.

It is thought that the land on which the building stands will be sold off, generating a one-off profit.

And it is understood there will be an annual saving of £533,000 — the court’s annual running costs.