THE DEPUTY mayor of Bicester has called for a town-wide consultation on what to do with Bicester Magistrates’ Court when it closes.

Jolanta Lis said the town, which is due to get 13,000 new homes by 2031, has enough housing and needs to provide more jobs and office space.

The Ministry of Justice announced this month that the court off Queens Avenue would close by next spring because it was under-used.

Ms Lis said: “I would like the residents of Bicester to have a say in what it should be used for.

“It is central and close to both sports and educational facilities, we do have enough housing for the residents of Bicester.

“I do not think it is a site that lends itself well to shopping as it doesn’t have a big enough space for parking and it couldn’t block the Queens Avenue.

“It is hard to say what it should be but we also talk about attracting high-end jobs for residents so maybe it should be turned into office space or laboratories.”

Ministry of Justice spokeswoman Zoë Campbell said that a decision had not yet been made about what to do with the court following the closure.

She said: “We will now be working on a disposal strategy that is appropriate to the building.

“We should be in a better position to advise after the court has formally closed.”

Bicester Chamber of Commerce chairman Peter Cox said he regretted that people would now have to go to Oxford to get justice.

He said: “The building is in a prominent place in Bicester and it would be a disrespect to Bicester to allow it to be developed into something such as flats.

“Surely with the increasing importance of Bicester, Oxfordshire County Council or Cherwell District Council should use their charms to persuade the Ministry of Justice to make a ‘special purpose sale’ and have a civic centre with parking.

“It could also be converted into an educational centre to match the images and emergent ambitions of Bicester.”

Bicester Magistrates’ Court was one of 91 court and tribunal buildings across the country listed as contenders to be shut because it was running at 11 per cent of capacity. The court will be closed down for good some time between January and March next year along with 85 other courts by the end of 2017.

Commenting on the closure North Oxfordshire MP Victoria Prentis said: “It is positive that there is less crime in Bicester, and also that debt recovery cases are being dealt with much more cheaply and quickly online.

“However, it is worrying for those whose jobs might be on the line, and I will continue to liaise closely with HMCTS to support staff in this process. I am also concerned that the people of Bicester should not have to travel too far to obtain justice.”