Colin Borland: We should assess value of town courts before we close them

It is true that most of our high streets were built to meet the needs of the populace at a time when we didn’t have cars, fridges or both partners out working.

It’s also true that, as our lives and society have changed, many consumers have forsaken their town centre for online giants and out-of-town retail barns.

Unless the economic situation really does get worse and we end up back in the 19th century, then these social changes aren’t going to be reversed, so it’s unlikely that the future of the town centre will lie solely in retail.

Rather, to have enough activity throughout the week to be viable, town centres need to be home to a much wider range of sectors and employers.

That the Scottish Court Service is planning to close a series of courts in towns across Scotland, then, looks to be a move in the wrong direction.

Sadly, the consultation document itself doesn’t explore the wider economic impact of these closures to any meaningful extent, focusing instead on the loss of court employees and the fate of vacant premises.

Important as this is, what is missing is an analysis of all the economic benefits derived from having a court in your town.

How valuable is the spending power of the court staff, solicitors, witnesses and everyone else associated with the justice process?

How much other passing trade does it generate?

Are there other local businesses who supply goods or services to the court?

Equally important, what will happen to local lawyers, their offices and spending power?

And how does all  this compare to the  economic activity that would be generated if the court building was turned into, say, a big pub?

To be honest, I don’t know the answer to this. But wouldn’t it be a good idea to find out before we proceed?

• Colin Borland is Head of External Affairs for the Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland