Proposal on the future of Medway County and Family Court

The consultation explained that the lease of Anchorage House was due to expire at the end of January 2021. Following negotiations between the landlord of the building and HMCTS, a lease extension has now been agreed to the end of June 2021.Medway County and Family Court will continue to operate as normal until that time, at which point we will be required to vacate the property.

Once the process of analysing the consultation responses is complete, final decisions on the relocation of workloads will be made and we will announce the outcome to this consultation in due course.

This paper sets out for consultation proposals on the future of Medway County and Family Court, including increasing the capacity at Maidstone Combined Court. It includes proposals for temporary listing arrangements for the work currently heard at Medway County and Family Court pending the completion of enabling works to the court building at Maidstone. Work will be heard by telephone or video where possible, and the remaining work would be distributed between Medway Magistrates’ Court, Maidstone Combined Court (without enabling works), and county courts in Canterbury, Dartford and Thanet (Margate). The consultation seeks the views of everyone with an interest in the work at these courts.

This consultation is being conducted in line with the Consultation Principles issued by the Cabinet Office and will run for 4 weeks and will close at 23.59 on 11 August 2020.

Responses are welcomed from anyone with an interest in or views on the subject matter covered by this paper.