A LONG battle to save country courthouses in North Yorkshire from the axe has finally been lost.

Despite a stream of objections from county and district councils, the magistrates' courts at Richmond, Pickering and Whitby are to close.

Richmond courthouse will go once the current refurbishment of Northallerton court is completed, after which its work will be transferred across.

Whitby and Pickering courts will disappear following the provision of new or refurbished court accommodation at Scarborough.

York and Selby magistrates have been judged to be inadequate in the long term, but will remain open while a bid for a new, single courthouse to serve both areas is pursued under a Private Finance Initiative.

The decisions were reached by the North Yorkshire Magistrates' Courts Committee (MCC) after a period of consultation which led to many objections being raised.

Justices' chief executive Paul Bradley said all the responses were considered carefully and the committee acknowledged all the concerns which had been expressed about the closures of small courthouses in rural areas.

However, he said: "The committee has had to balance issues of accessibility with the need to provide secure courthouses with appropriate modern facilities, and a system of courts which enables all criminal justice agencies to operate efficiently.

"The MCC believes that its strategy will provide a sustainable framework for the future, and will enable investment to be made in new or refurbished courthouses for the benefit of all court users, including witnesses and defendants."

He insisted that none of the closures would take place until new or improved accommodation had been provided.

When suitable accommodation can be provided, the administrative headquarters for the magistrates' courts service will move to York. In the meantime, the central management unit will remain in Easingwold.

The committee has also decided that local court offices will cease to take payments at inquiry counters from the end of this year, when alternative methods of payment will be introduced.

And although the boundaries of petty sessions areas will continue to be based on local government areas, procedures are to be introduced to allow court users in summons cases to have their cases transferred to the most convenient and accessible courthouse.