Calls to repair collapsed building two years on

Part of the Old Courthouse fell into the River Cocker in October 2023

A town is demanding progress over repairs to a collapsed building, two years after the structure crumbled into a river.

Part of the Old Courthouse in Cockermouth, Cumbria, fell into the River Cocker on 8 October 2023. Attempts to deal with the 19th Century structure cost the Environment Agency (EA) £80,000, but the true cost to the taxpayer is expected to be higher.

Local Labour MP Markus Campbell-Savours said "enough is enough" and called on owner Samiul Ahmed to publish his plans.

Mr Ahmed said he had a plan to turn the building into flats and remained "actively engaged" with the EA. He said he did not have a comment on its "reported expenditure".

The building is about 190 years old and was last used in 2021.

Mr Ahmed, of East London-based company Halal Group, bought it at auction in 2022 for £51,000.

In response to its collapse, both Cumberland Council and the EA implemented measures to ensure it was safe, including a temporary closure of the nearby bridge, scaffolding and protective netting.

Samiul Ahmed said he had plans to turn the building into flats

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request, submitted by the BBC to the EA, showed the organisation spent £80,000 in dealing with the Old Courthouse.

Money was spent on river and structural surveys, scaffolding removal and staff time. The EA said it was yet to make a decision on whether to recoup its cost from the owner.

A similar request was submitted to Cumberland Council, but the Labour-led authority said it could not disclose its costs as it was "commercially sensitive" information.

Darren Ward, architectural advisor at Cockermouth Civic Trust, said he believed the costs would have exceeded those of the EA and said he was "disappointed" with the lack of progress.

"Everybody keeps talking about it and passing the buck but the required work is increasing," he said.

He said the building needed to be stabilised and he feared any further damage would impact the town's flood resilience.

"It's in the heart of the town and it doesn't give a good view, it doesn't reflect the town's economy state very well," he added.

There are fears further damage to the building may cause flooding

Campbell-Savours, MP for Penrith and Solway, said he wanted the owner to prove he had the money to deal with the building and address issues before any increased flood risk occurred.

"It's a scandal that tens of thousands of pounds of public money has had to be spent keeping this building, and therefore my constituents in Cockermouth, safe," he said.

'Blight on town'

Joe Murray, co-chairman of Cockermouth and District Chamber of Trade, said while businesses understood the complications, the issue had "dragged on".

"We are very frustrated not to see any action on the site," he said.

He urged Mr Ahmed to work with other agencies to get work started.

"This needs to happen now to remove this blight on the town," he said.

In March 2024, the council said it was planning to complete urgent works to the building and would recoup the costs from Mr Ahmed.

But earlier this year, it said it had "no plans to undertake any physical works" because the building remained in private ownership.

Mr Ahmed said he had sought clarification from the council, but he had not received "an adequate response".

"Our plans have always been to preserve the Old Courthouse and to redevelop it into apartments, ensuring the building's long-term preservation and contribution to Cockermouth," he said.

He said plans for redevelopment had been drawn up but work could not start due to ongoing legal proceedings.

"We continue to work with the authorities and to act fully within our legal responsibilities," he said.