Council issues notice ahead of proposed preservation works on Cockermouth Old Courthouse

Cumberland Council has issued a notice to the owner of Cockermouth's Old Courthouse which could pave the way for works to stabilise the building.

The courthouse partially collapsed into the river Cocker in October last year, causing the closure of the nearby bridge. The bridge has since been reopened to pedestrians and vehicles are being controlled by traffic lights.

The Old Courthouse is a Grade II listed building, and the council is in ongoing discussions with partners including Historic England.

Yesterday, they issued a Section 54 Notice of the Planning Act 1990. This enables a local authority to carry out urgent works for the preservation of listed buildings after giving notice to the owner.

These works include temporary stabilisation and then demolition of the first and second floor to the rear wing as well as weatherproofing the remaining walls.

The owner has until Wednesday 24 January to take meaningful steps to undertake the work. If no steps are taken, the council has the authority to carry out the works.

A spokesperson for the council said: "Any proposed works are impacted by the fact that the site is land locked, access is challenging, the river Cocker is of special scientific interest and the protection of flood defences needs careful consideration."

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