DENBIGH Magistrates Court is threatened with closure as part of a new raft of Government cuts.
Ministers announced last week proposals to ‘modernise and improve’ the use of courts in England and Wales.
The consultations seek to enable Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCS) to better provide vital services for local communities.
The consultations of closures ask for views on whether to close 103 magistrates’ and 54 county courts that are claimed to be ‘underused and inadequate’ in England and Wales.
And Denbigh Magistrates Court, which has been a fixture in the town for more than two decades, is on this closure consultation list.
A county councillor has stressed the importance of a thorough and open consultation process on the matter.
Denbighshire county councillor representing the Denbigh Central ward Cllr Gwyneth Kensler said: “This is another blow for the economy of Denbigh.
“Given its relative position to the town centre, it did bring people to the local shops.
“I hope this will be a serious consultation process and that our views and concerns will be heeded.”
If implemented, Ministers argue that running cost savings of around £15.3million per year could be achieved along with a saving of £21.5million on maintenance costs that could be avoided.
Plaid Cymru's spokesman for crime and justice Elfyn Llwyd MP has expressed his dismay at the news.
"It appears that local justice is becoming a thing of the past and I believe that this is going to make life very difficult for people who use the courts - be it defendants, lawyers or justices of the peace.
"If these closures go ahead then I believe it will usher in the demise of the lay magistracy in north and mid Wales and greater use of district judges - and that will complete the run down of any notion of local justice.”
He added: "I'm afraid that this is short termism and I question any savings made in any event when travelling costs and waiting costs are having to be met."
Courts Minister Jonathan Djanogly said: 'When public finances are under pressure, it is vital to eliminate waste and reduce costs.
“The Government is committed to supporting local justice, enabling justice to be done and seen to be done in our communities.
“Magistrates hear the majority of criminal cases and this voluntary contribution will continue to be strongly supported by the Government as the bedrock of our justice system.
“We now have the opportunity to think afresh about how we can create a more modern fit-for-purpose justice system in line with the way we live our lives today.
Former magistrate and chairman of the bench Gwyn Hughes said: “We, as a bench, fought hard to get the courthouse in Denbigh.
“It was opened in January 1987 by Sir William Gladstone at the time.
“Then, later on we were able to bring the fixed penalty office and the finance office to Denbigh.”
As well as Denbigh, other North Wales magistrates’ courts under review are Pwllheli, Flint and Llangefni.
For further information on proposals, go to www.justice.gov.uk