The future of Richmond Magistrates’ Court is uncertain after it was revealed a courts shake up is due.

The Richmond and Twickenham Times was told this week that the Ministry of Justice is planning to reorganise family courts, of which Richmond is one.

Under new proposals, family cases could be heard at three family centres across London, but it is not yet known which courts have been designated for this.

If Richmond is not selected as a family centre it may be under threat of closure and if it is chosen as a family centre only family cases would be heard there.

Traffic offence cases currently held at Richmond would be transferred to Lavender Hill where they would be held alongside overnight custody cases. All other criminal work would be heard at Wimbledon.

It is believed the proposals will be announced from September, with a view to bring in changes by May next year.

Richmond Magistrates’ Court was spared in the last round of court closures, which saw 93 courts shut as part of a Government cost-cutting exercise announced in 2010.

The court, in Parkshot, came under threat when Kingston magistrates made a last ditch attempt to keep their court open by claiming it would be cheaper to shut Richmond in 2011.

The Kingston campaigners said Richmond had a £1.7m backlog of repairs, which was nearly ten times Kingston’s £168,000, and cost 50 per cent more to run.

Some of these repairs, including the Richmond courthouse’s roof, have now been carried out.

Kingston’s historic court rooms, built in the basement of the Guildhall in 1936, closed in June 2011 despite a campaign that won overwhelming support of MPs, councillors, lawyers and court users.

The closure saw the Richmond magistrates’ bench merge with Kingston, Wimbledon and Lavender Hill benches to form the current south-west London bench, comprising 320 magistrates sitting across the three courthouses.

A spokesman for Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) said: “HMCTS keeps the use of its estate under review to ensure it meets operational requirements.

“Any new proposals to close courts beyond those already announced would be subject to consultation.”