I'm using a thick alnico magnet (alnico I think, its produced to mine gold ) to block my trem right now no noise or sound difference I noticed of till now.

Its an extremely strong magnet, 2 of it can seriously hurt someone if not careful.

I think the latch idea if refined could be great.

Nothing wrong with screws

The panel itself could stay more or less the same. A holding "mechanism" could do the work.

Yeah, and that's because it's annoying to have to open it.

Less screws would be a start, or not directly into wood, as well.

You could say that about almost anything. The reason is because it can be made better.

Anyway, it doesn't have to be anything overly complex, or that makes the panel itself more expensive. Maybe just making the panel slide under "holder corners" on one side, and on the other hold it with a single screw. E.g.:

~I have to say that I find the "open" panels to be a real step in the wrong direction! Surely the point of having a cover on there is to keep what's in, in and what's out, out?

A cover with a hole in it??!?!? What the heck is the point of that??!?!?

So no, screw it down and leave it there, if I want to mess with what's inside, I'll open it up. Job done.

Yeah mate people love complicating things.
It's better wasting time with meanless things then actually............playing the guitar
What about making a hole but covering it?