Cllr Brown and his team need to start thinking of ways of making the courthouse become financially viable but also making the historic parts accessible to the public

I NEVER thought I would agree with Cllr Fred Brown, but for once I applaud his stance on trying to save Ely Magistrates Court. However, if it fails, I hope he and his group has some contingency plans ready, as the building must be preserved and new uses found, for the sake of citizens and visitors alike. Only recently, Cllr Brown said he wanted to boost tourism in Ely. Well one of the best ways would be to have more historic buildings open to give visitors a bigger experience, so they stay more than just one day.

Cllr Brown and his team need to start thinking of ways of making the courthouse become financially viable but also making the historic parts accessible to the public. After all, people still lament the desecration of the market square when the Corn Exchange was pulled down. While I am not suggesting that would happen in these enlightened times, I hope the council are thinking imaginatively of ways to keep the courthouse open for the public to enjoy, and learn how it has been used, over the years.

Let us hope the council are ready to take on this challenge and not allow this historic building just to be ‘mothballed’

TED CONEY

Waterside, Ely