new court part of £220 million investment in court
maintenance
eight new employment tribunal rooms now open at West Gate
four new business and property courtrooms under construction to
increase local Crown Court capacity
It comes as the Lord Chancellor visited the new West Gate court
and tribunal building in Leeds yesterday (14 February 2024),
funded through the government’s increased investment in the court
and tribunal estate across England and Wales.
In a boost for the city’s legal infrastructure, a total of £6.2
million has been invested in West Gate to create capacity for 12
hearing rooms over 3 floors. This investment in the centre of
Leeds expands the estate in the city to 53 court or hearing rooms
within a 250-yards radius.
The building at West Gate includes the space for eight new,
fit-for-purpose employment tribunal rooms.
In addition, construction work is underway to create four new
Business & Property Court rooms. They will provide a
dedicated space for cases to be heard from business disputes to
evictions.
The Lord Chancellor said:
These new state-of-the-art hearing rooms will be a hugely
positive addition to Leeds city centre, positioning the city as a
leading legal hub. By increasing capacity in the nearby Crown
Court, we are also able to tackle more outstanding criminal
cases, put victims first and bring more criminals to justice.
This government is committed to delivering a modern court and
tribunal estate that is truly fit for the future.
The court will also support increased Crown Court capacity in the
city, by moving the Business & Property Court work away from
Leeds Crown Court, where it is currently situated, to help
deliver justice swiftly for victims and
defendants.
The newly refurbished site in the city’s West Gate district is
one of a number of sites in Yorkshire to benefit from part of
£220 million funding. The two-year funding package is enabling
improvement and maintenance works to courts and tribunals across
the country, improving the resilience and accessibility of the
court system.
More widely in the Northeast region, some of this funding is
being used to:
- £7 million to replace roofs at Skipton Court House, York
Magistrates’ Court and Sunderland Magistrates’ Court
- Over £5 million in replacing heating systems and pipework at
Sheffield Magistrates Court and Durham Crown Court
- Over £7 million in replacing the windows and exterior
cladding at Teesside Magistrates Court
- £600,000 to replace lifts at York Magistrates’ Court,
Newcastle Combined Court, Sheffield Combined Court and Grimsby
Combined Court
By increasing capacity and minimising unplanned maintenance, the
government is tackling outstanding cases and ensuring more
hearings can go ahead.
Notes to editors
- HM Courts and Tribunals Service has secured a 15-year lease
at West Gate, with work commencing in May 2023 and expected to
complete in Spring 2024.
- Once completed, the site will have seen a £6.2 million
investment in the West Gate site which has funded the fit out
including state-of-the-art ICT and all required changes to the
building to accommodate the new rooms.
