A LAST-ditch effort by councillors to save closure-threatened Nelson County Court could be helped by the credit crunch.

Campaigners fear that with the number of housing repossessions soaring across East Lancashire, and personal debt rising, the county court service should remain in Phoenix Chambers, on Holme Street.

But Her Majesty’s Court Service says that the Nelson court is chronically underused and has fallen out of favour with lawyers and their clients.

Courts only sit for limited sessions during the working week and solicitors with West Craven cases are also opting to travel to Skipton to conduct their business.

The Whitehall agency has proposed axing the courthouse, to save £40,000 per year, in favour of holding Pendle area cases at the Burnley Combined Court Centre in the town’s Hammerton Street.

But Pendle councillors are furious that another local service is being lost to Burnley, which already houses the Pennine police divisional headquarters, crown court and main magistrates court buildings.

Coun Pauline McCormick said that Pendle Citizens Advice Bureau had recently established a helpdesk at the court to help people facing the threat of home repossession.

“We always seem to be losing things in Nelson. Things always seem to be closing and never reopening,” said Coun McCormick.

Council leader Coun John David said that the authority had contacted the courts service to outline its objections to the Nelson courthouse closure.

“It is another jewel taken out of Nelson’s crown. We have had no reply to our representations but hopefully they will listen to our concerns,” said Coun David.

Court officials in Preston will review the findings of a two-month consultation exercise before making a final ruling on the venue’s future.

The Nelson court deals with civil claims, divorce work, family court applications, with a district judge holding three sittings during a four-week period.