Bridge reopens two months after building collapse

A scaffold screen has been erected to protect vehicles from any falling debris

A bridge closed to traffic for two months after the partial collapse of a nearby building has reopened.

Vehicle access to Cocker Bridge, in Cockermouth, Cumbria, was suspended in October after the back of the adjacent Old Courthouse fell into the River Cocker.

A five metre-high (16ft) scaffold screen has been put up on the side of the bridge to protect vehicles from any falling debris.

Cumberland Council said the safety of people using the bridge was "of paramount importance".

Traffic is being controlled with two-way lights on either side of the bridge and pedestrian access is still open, the authority said.

All other traffic restrictions have been removed.

A council spokesperson thanked residents for supporting businesses while access to them was disrupted and explained last weekend's Taste Cumbria event had been placed near the bridge to help traders.

Cockermouth's Old Courthouse building collapsed into the River Cocker in October

The Grade II-listed Old Courthouse is privately owned but the council used emergency powers to carry out initial work following the collapse.

The owner will be required to carry out further repairs approved by Historic England.

The body is liaising with the council, Natural England and the Environment Agency to assess options for the site.

The council said a number of complexities were having an impact on plans, such as the site's position on the edge of the river which made access challenging.

Work on listed buildings is regulated and, as the Old Courthouse sits in a site of special scientific interest, pollution from debris must also be minimised and the impact of work needed "careful consideration", a spokesperson added.

The council was keen to allow access to shops and businesses

In 2021, the same site was evacuated after heavy rain left the building's rear wall on the verge of collapse. It has not been used since.

The property, which is about 190 years old and was previously home to The Honest Lawyer restaurant, was sold at auction in 2022.