A PROPOSAL to close Enniskillen Courthouse and move all business to Omagh has been halted.

After months of uncertainty about its future, the courthouse will be retained and will now be designated as a hearing centre which will only open on those days when a court is sitting.

A document outlining the decision, seen by this newspaper, will be presented to the Justice Committee today (Thursday) in which it states that the decision will save around £26,300 a year.

The findings of a public consultation on the proposal have been outlined in the document, including feedback from solicitors, politicians and local organisations in Fermanagh.

The rurality of the area and the impact of travelling distances and times was raised by every respondent. There was reference to victims of domestic violence having to travel for over an hour on the bus to reach a court and the possibility that this journey may be alongside the perpetrator. Some voiced concern that PSNI officers would be travelling to Omagh to attend court, leaving Fermanagh without adequate policing.

In the document the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunal Service (NICTS) states: “We now recommend retaining the courthouse and designating it as a hearing centre opening on a limited number of days per week. We have looked at the current number of scheduled sittings required and are content these can be accommodated on a reduced number of days.”

Sinn Fein MLA Seán Lynch welcomed the news, saying: “This will be very welcome news for all the stakeholders that conducted an excellent campaign during the consultation process.”

Ulster Unionist MP Tom Elliott said: “The original proposal did not make sense and I trust that the future of Enniskillen Courthouse can now be secured for many years to come."