City Corporation completes purchase for major courts project
The City of London Corporation has announced that it has today completed on the purchase of 68 – 71 Fleet Street, EC4 from Royal London Group.
The 31,600 sq. ft building has been approved, in principle, to form part of the Fleet Street Estate site for a proposed new flagship combined courts facility, designed to tackle cybercrime, fraud, economic cases and reinforce the UK’s reputation as a world-leading legal centre. Also included in the Fleet Street Estate scheme will be a new City of London Police station.
Catherine McGuinness, Policy & Resources Committee Chair at the City of London Corporation said:
“I’m pleased to see this important project take a major step forward. It will give the Square Mile another world-class court complex, when complete, alongside the Old Bailey, reinforcing London’s position as a world leading centre for legal services.
“It is fitting that Action Fraud, the national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre, hosted by the City of London Police, will be located on the same site as the new court, further underpinning the City as a secure place to conduct business.”
Sir Michael Snyder, Chairman of the Capital Buildings Committee at the City of London Corporation said:
“This is a complex and ambitious piece of work.
“My Committee and I are dedicated to delivering a world-class scheme, that meets the specific operational requirements of this project.
“We are committed to opening up the wider site for redevelopment and delivering a flagship Court complex and state of the art City Police Headquarters fit for the future of our world leading financial and business City.”
Justice Minister, Lucy Frazer said:
“Our justice system is revered across the globe, and London leads the way as the best place to do business and resolve disputes. This state-of-the-art court will reinforce an already world class reputation.
“The purchase of 68 – 71 Fleet Street is a further message that Britain stands ready to deal with the changing nature of 21st century crime.”
The court would create space for 18 courtrooms. In addition to fraud, economic crime and cyber-crime, it will also deal with business and property work and hear other criminal cases, replacing the Mayor’s and City of London County Court, and City of London Magistrates’ Court.
Consultants including architects and engineers are due to be appointed by January 2019.
Notes to editors
- The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
- The timeline for building the new court is subject to finalising funding arrangements and securing planning permission. It is expected to be completed in 2025.
- The proposal for a new court was announced last October by the City of London Corporation, and work on feasibility has now concluded and a location for the court has been set. Funding will be provided by the City of London Corporation and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service.
Previous announcements
October 2017: https://news.cityoflondon.gov.uk/city-of-london-corporation-backs-new-square-mile-judicial-centre/