THE future of Bicester Magistrates' Court is in jeopardy after it was flagged up for closure today for running at 11 per cent of capacity.

The Ministry of Justice launched a consultation to close underused and poor quality court and tribunal buildings that are being used for only a third of their available time.

Bicester Magistrates' Court, off Queen's Avenue, was one of 91 court and tribunal buildings across the country listed as contenders to be shut.

Courts and Tribunals Minister Shailesh Vara launched a 12-week consultation today to give the public the chance to respond to the announcement.

He added: “We are reforming the courts and tribunal service so that it meets the needs of modern day users.

“Access to justice is not just about attending court. As we bring in digital technology for better and more efficient access to justice, fewer people will need to physically be in a court.

“This means that we will need fewer buildings, and with many already underused and in poor quality, now is a good time to review the estate.”

Bicester Magistrates' Court was built in 1957 has not been used for criminal cases since 2013, with the two cells being decommissioned in 2010.

However, it has a courtroom open five days a week for family work - both private and public - with the second court room open twice a week.

Under the consultation proposals the court would close and the case loads moved to Oxford Combined Court, with a new hearing room being created to accommodate the work.

Tribunals Service Chief Executive Natalie Ceeney insisted that with fewer people have to attend court splashing cash on underused buildings was not value for money.

She added: “Our estate is a significant asset. We currently have a number of surplus buildings and this consultation puts forward proposals on their future.

“As we modernise our service so that fewer people will need to attend a court in person, spending money on unsuitable or rarely used buildings is not good value for money for taxpayers.

“I encourage anyone with an interest to respond to the proposals."

Consultation forms can be found in libraries or by visiting consult.justice.gov.uk

The consultation will end on October 18.