Two temporary Court rooms could be added to Bradford Crown Court in a bid to reduce a huge backlog of cases.

The £14.4 million court centre in Drake Street was heralded as a showpiece building when it opened seven years ago.

Now its eight courts are struggling to cope with the workload and managers are looking to set up two courts in a temporary building to ease the pressure.

A planning application has been submitted to Bradford Council for a temporary court alongside the Drake Street building.

The temporary courts, which would be inside the existing steel security fence, would allow direct access from the main Crown Court for defendants and judges, and incorporate a separate public entrance.

Alternative proposals to use an empty office building in the city centre are set to be ruled out because of fears over security.

Property advisers Debenham Thorpe say the temporary rooms would only be needed for a maximum of four years.

A spokesman said: "The Lord Chancellor's Department considers this to be the most appropriate solution to the current problem."

Bradford Crown Court currently has more than a thousand cases awaiting trial. All new committals from Batley and Dewsbury are being temporarily directed to Leeds and scores of hearings are being moved to other courts on the North Eastern Circuit.

A spokesman for the Lord Chancellor's department said: "We are aware of the problems in Bradford and have put in a planning application for two extra rooms

"The workload of a court can change as time goes by. The extra demand was not envisaged when it was built ten years ago."

Crown Court manager David Lunan said: "We need more courtroom resources to deal with the amount of work coming in at the moment. Two temporary courts would be a big help."

Bradford Crown Court consists of a judge's chamber on the top floor, eight Crown Courts and two County Courts on the second floor, custody cells and jury assembly rooms on the first floor, and administrative departments are on the ground floor.

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