They discussed the consultation plans by Her Majesty's Court Service (HMCS) to close the court and move cases to Peterborough.

It is another blow for the rural Fenland community and magistrates are worried that a decision to close the court cannot be reversed.

Alan Jones, chair of Fenland Magistrates, said: "As a bench we are very concerned about the closure.

"We hope wiser counsel will prevail and the court will stay open."

The magistrates have put together a document which will be passed to HMCS and eventually be considered by the Ministry of Justice.

The magistrates state: "We understand the need for cost cutting in the current climate."

But continue: "We would also like to point out that whilst we accept that economic pressures are current and pressing, no financial crisis lasts forever. However, closing a courthouse and disposing of the asset is a permanent decision which cannot be reversed."

The magistrates are unhappy about many of the points made within the consultation documents and said it contained a number of factual inaccuracies.

The consultation document claims there are "limited interview rooms" but magistrates refute this. It also states Court 2 has a "formal nature" and access problems.

But ironically, a recent HMCS Inspectorate report praised the court, for its informal setting and disabled access, including a lift.

The consultation document claims Wisbech court is "unfit for purpose", despite the building undergoing several renovations in the past 10 years. The most recent work took place on the cells just a few months ago.

Fenland magistrates are also unhappy with a comment in the consultation, which states the number of magistrates make it "impractical to fill the various positions, committees and panels".

But magistrates' claim: "Not only is this untrue, it is an insult to a dedicated group of magistrates who fulfil all their duties, for nothing, for the benefit of the people of Fenland."

The magistrates feel moving cases to Peterborough is not the right decision for Fenland.

They said: "The proposal refers to 'Wisbech Magistrates' Court as the only court in the Fenland Local Justice Area', which demonstrates an awareness of the uniqueness of Wisbech as a location.

"It is this unique nature of the community and the ability of the local court to reflect this. That would be lost if combined with the City of Peterborough Court."

Travelling to Peterborough could cause problems for many court users especially those living in outlying villages.

Travel time for these people could "significantly exceed" the 60-minute maximum commute - although it is also accepted the move could reduce travel time for others.

Magistrates are worried about whether Peterborough magistrates can take on the added workload of Fenland cases and point out they are "already concerned that the number of sittings often falls short of the recommended allocation, and this will be worse with the addition of justices from Wisbech".

They questioned the level of savings that could be made by closing the courthouse and thought they were probably "over optimistic".

The magistrates state: "There are several empty buildings where businesses have closed and the prospect of the court building or the site having any potential value, given the current economic climate, is remote."

Citizen readers are urged to give their opinions on the proposed closure of Wisbech court. You have until September 15 to fill in a questionnaire. Go to http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-cp02-10.htm

• What do you think about the plans? Send your thoughts to emma.mason@fenlandcitizen.co.uk