COUNTY Courts in both Monmouth and Chepstow are facing the axe – and lawyers in the Forest of Dean are hopping mad that they have not been consulted over closure proposals.

Forest Citizens' Advice Bureaus which have frequent dealings with the courts have also been left out of the consultation process.

Elizabeth Whitehead, of Whitehead & Co, solicitors, Coleford, learned about the impending closure of Monmouth court from a Monmouth solicitor who had noticed her firm and others in the Forest were not on the consultation list.

"I immediately raised objections and sent a letter to the court service," she told the Review. The letter was acknowledged but there had been no further contact.

But she said last week another Monmouth solicitor told her that the District Judge had stopped him in the street and told him that "unless a fuss is made" about the court, then it will close by default.

"I found it incredible that they hadn't asked for the views of Forest solicitors, or even the CAB which has quite a bit of business with them," she said.

And while inquiring about the Monmouth court plans the Review learned that Chepstow County Court's future was also under discussion.

Miss Whitehead said the closure did not take into account the substantial Forest dealings with the courts, which were accessible and whose staff knew local problems and people well.

Under the closure plans this business would be transferred to Gloucester County Court, much further away and more remote from Forest affairs, and Newport for cases that would have been dealt with at Chepstow, said Miss Whitehead.

Graham Pickett, manager for the Cardiff group of courts which includes Monmouth and Chepstow, said the final decision was for the Lord Chancellor.

However, he had "consulted a number of local people on the issue and put up notices about it in the court buildings, which was normal procedure under the circumstances" and had put a "business case" for the future of the two courts before the Lord Chancellor.

If closed staff – a court manager and administrative officer in each case and a shared bailiff – would be relocated, and as both court buildings were leased there would be no property sales involved.

Miss Whitehead says it seems as if decisions have already been taken without proper consultation and the main losers will be the public.

County Courts deal with civil cases such as debt collection, property disputes and repossession.