THREATENED legal services in Carmarthen have been given a stay of execution, but the town will lose the Guildhall.

Campaigners who have been fighting to the save both the Guildhall and civil court in the town have claimed “partial victory” after it was announced the latter will remain open.

When the Guildhall closes, work will either move to an alternative site or a suitable alternative local provision will be established.

Both courts were among 91 centres across the UK proposed for closure by the Government’s Ministry of Justice.

Following a public consultation, it was announced today (Thursday) that 86 were to close, including Guildhall and the Civil, Family, Tribunal and Probate Hearing Centre would remain open.

Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards, who has led the campaign to retain Carmarthen’s court services and spoken in Parliamentary debates against closures, claimed the decision “partial victory.”

The Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP said he welcomed news that legal proceedings will remain in Carmarthen Town but called on the Ministry of Justice to ensure cases are not centralised in Llanelli – a move he said would undermine the accessibility of justice.

Mr Edwards MP said: "Today's news is bitter sweet in that we will see the closure of that iconic Guildhall Courthouse but our efforts, including those of the legal profession, local Magistrates and the public at large, have succeeded in retaining legal proceedings in the town.

“This is a significant achievement when we consider the historical and cultural importance of Carmarthen as the judicial capital of west Wales.

"It does, however, seem bizarre to me that the government will close a building on which it has recently spent millions of pounds to maintain. Indeed closing the building represents a colossal waste of public money by the Conservative government.

"Equal access to justice is a hallmark of a civil society. It is at the heart of a democratic society. Westminster's ideology with closure and centralisation of services away from communities undermines entirely the notion of local justice and would have a profound impact on local residents.

"That is why the Ministry of Justice must now commit to ensuring cases that would once be heard in the Guildhall are instead heard in the Probate Hearing Centre. There is no excuse for the Hearing Centre not to adapt to accommodate more cases. Doing this would put the buffers on centralisation and uphold the principle of local access to justice.”

He added: "Confirmation that legal proceedings will remain in Carmarthen Town is a partial victory and is to be welcomed. But my work as a local MP won't stop until the Ministry of Justice stops its centralisation agenda and commits to hearing more cases in Carmarthen."