The foundation of an Angus justice hub has been laid with the approved sale of facilities to the Scottish Court Service (SCS).
Angus Council’s corporate services committee approved recommendations to sell Forfar Sheriff Court annexe to the SCS, following a national shake-up of the courts system earlier this year.
The SCS plans to turn the building into an additional court room and part of its new justice hub, and plans were recommended for approval in a report by communities director Alan McKeown.
And it emerged money from the sale will be used to fund new council housing in future.
Monifieth and Sidlaw Conservative councillor Craig Fotheringham asked about the circumstances of the sale at the meeting in Forfar its last due to a shake-up of the council’s committee structure.
The SCS had been accused of a “smoke and mirrors” strategy over negotiations by North East MSP Alex Johnstone, as detailed in The Courier on Thursday.
Mr Fotheringham said: “Can I ask when the approach was made by the Scottish Court Service to the council to buy the annexe, and can I also ask what the relocation costs will be for Angus Council staff to relocate from there, and what the annual saving will be from its disposal?”
Mr McKeown answered that the building “has been the subject of negotiations for many a year.”
He added: “The community safety team will be moving across the road to the Mart and it will help the council as part of its reduction of buildings count.
“The cost of relocation will be neutral apart from the receipt (from the SCS) which will be used to fund new housing at some point next year.”
The Scottish Court Service, which owns Forfar’s court, have approached Angus Council with a request to purchase the sheriff court annexe as part of their reorganisation of court provision within Angus.
The council confirmed in April that it had been “invited” to look at selling the annexe to the SCS, although no official decision had been made on the proposed court closures.
Arbroath Sheriff Court is one of 10 courts that will cease operations next May, with all business moving to Forfar.