Council building to shut for days due to flooding

Westmorland and Furness Council staff moved into Voreda House in Penrith in May last year

A council office, which underwent a major refurbishment that was £6m over budget, has been forced to close due to flooding.

Voreda House in Penrith, Cumbria, which houses services for Westmorland and Furness Council, will remain closed for the rest of the week, the authority has confirmed.

The building opened last year but the project, which was initially earmarked at £2.3m, also came under fire for being three years late. A review found dozens of key issues in decision making by predecessor Eden District Council.

Westmorland and Furness Council said it was sorry for any inconvenience to residents.

A spokesperson said the council's facilities team had discovered flooding on the first floor of the building, which happened overnight.

"Our maintenance teams are now working to assess the extent of the issue, but have confirmed that the building will not reopen to staff or members of the public for the rest of the week," they said.

The Liberal Democrat-run authority said while people would not be able to see the customer service team in person, help was available via phone or online.