Prison vans to use Wolverhampton bus station
Prison vans will have to use Wolverhampton bus station to get access to the city's crown court when work on a £18 million tram extension starts.
Access to the court's car park will be restricted once construction on the 700m line gets under way with sections of Pipers Row being shut as the link to the railway station is built.
Part of the court's land will also be needed to build on.
Engineers from Centro have agreed to let prison vans through the bus station during the works as part of a deal with the Ministry of Justice.
Judges will also be given secure car parking elsewhere in the city.
Peter Adams, Centro's head of Metro development, said: "We have been in discussions with the Ministry of Justice. Their primary concern is about secure judges' parking and security of bringing and taking away prisoners.
"We have made arrangements for judges' parking and the prisoners will be able to come through a gate from the bus station into a yard by the court via the bus station."
During an inquiry into the extension of the Midland Metro, Mr Neil Cameron QC, representing transport authority Centro, said: "The Wolverhampton Combined Courts Centre is land held by the Ministry of Justice and is land in which there is a Crown interest. The Crown land can be acquired compulsorily if the appropriate authority agrees.
"In this case the appropriate authority is the Ministry of Justice. who are the government department having management of the land.
"The Ministry of Justice, and their solicitors, have indicated that whilst a legal agreement has not yet been entered into, the Ministry has agreed in principle to the acquisition of those parts of the Crown land which will form new public highway.
"The Ministry has also indicated that they agree in principle to measures to mitigate impact during construction."
New tracks will be laid at the junction of Bilston Street and Pipers Row. Two new stops will be provided by the bus and rail stations. The 23-stop route is also being extended in Birmingham from the Snow Hill terminus to New Street station.
Planning inspector Stephen Roscoe will decide on whether the scheme can go ahead in the coming weeks.
