Legal consolidation: Plans are being discussed to move Lincoln Crown Court from Lincoln Castle into the Magistrates Court building on the High Street.
Lincolnshire County Council is working with the Ministry of Justice to potentially move Lincoln Crown Court from Lincoln Castle into the Magistrates Court building on the High Street.
The plans would see the Crown Court operations relocated in the Magistrates Court on the lower High Street to free up the potential for tourists in the building at Lincoln Castle.
Proposed uses for the Crown Court building could include a tourist attraction with mock court rooms or using it as a venue for wedding registrations and ceremonies.
Pete Moore, Director of Resources at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Lincolnshire County Council has been holding informal discussions with the Ministry of Justice, with a view to relocating the Crown Court to the site of the Magistrates Court.
“This would have a number of benefits. It would provide a purpose built building for the Crown Court, and also free up the existing site for alternative uses, which could include transforming it into a tourist attraction, or even using it as a venue for registrations and ceremonies.”
Lincoln Magistrates Court on the High Street. Photo: File/The Lincolnite
The Crown Court move plans come as revamp work at Lincoln Castle is set to finish in 2015, ahead of the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, when a number of events will take place.
The County Council is also revamping the Victorian prison on the grounds, as well as building an underground display vault for the Magna Carta.
The castle redevelopment plans also include allowing full wall tours and free entry to the premises in the future (currently £4), with fees for tours and building access.
The idea to move the Crown Court from Lincoln Castle has been proposed before, in 2010, but at the time Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCS) said the move would be too expensive.
Lincoln County Court and Probate Services behind the Magistrates Court. Photo: File/The Lincolnite
If Lincoln Crown Court would operate from the same building as the Magistrates Court, an extension to the High Street premises is possible, creating a cluster of legal building on the spot, with the County Court and Probate Services building situated behind the Magistrates building.
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