CLOSING Kendal’s court will lead to more families being evicted from their homes, a local housing solicitor has warned.

Colin Henderson - duty solicitor for Kendal County Court – litigates on behalf of tenants who have gone to the Citizens Advice Bureau for legal aid, who are facing eviction due to rent or mortgage arrears.

He attends the Burneside Road building usually once a fortnight, and has branded the cost-cutting government proposals to close it as ‘catastrophic’ for South Lakeland.

“The reason people don’t pay their rent or mortgage is not because they’re lazy or negligent – it’s because they don’t have any money,” he said.

“They have to go to court to explain their circumstances, get help, and avoid eviction – and if they have to go to Carlisle or Barrow many will be excluded because they don’t drive and don’t have the money to make the journey.

“In many cases when my clients go to court it’s the first time they’ve ever made contact to get any help.

“Often they’ve been suffering in silence, struggling to manage their money, and frequently have physical or mental health problems.

“If they can just walk to the local court, especially if they know they are going to get help, it can be the lifeline they need to save their family from eviction.

“If they can’t do that because they haven’t got the resources, a possession order will be made in their absence and the next thing they know the bailiffs will knock on their door.

“A District Judge might agree to adjourn it if they get in touch in advance and explain their circumstances, but the basic rule is you must turn up to a possession hearing.”

Mr Henderson said suggestions by HM Courts & Tribunals Service North West that more people could appear via video link were currently ‘unfeasible’.

“In my experience video links are very difficult, and there would be no-one there to assist them.”

He added: “Kendal is the nicest court I have ever practised in - it’s a calm place, where people can take some time to think, and an excellent purpose-built facility.”

The Ministry of Justice consultation on closing Kendal Magistrates’ Court and County Court – along with 90 other courts across the UK - will close on October 8.

* Kendal Town Council members will be discussing the issue at their meeting on Monday September 7.

Prior to the discussion, there will be a presentation by the Courts Service, who will explain the proposals and their effect on the local community. In addition, Mr Richard Rhodes, Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, and Mrs Jenny Farmer JP, Chair of the South Cumbria Magistrates’ Bench, will attend the meeting to present their views on the proposal. The meeting starts at 7.30pm.