Central Plaza Hotel: Carlisle Council confirms expressions of interest

The building's exterior has been cloaked in scaffolding for years

A council has received expressions of interest for a derelict city centre hotel, a councillor has said.

The Grade II-listed Central Plaza Hotel in Carlisle underwent urgent work in June to stop it collapsing.

Carlisle City Council's deputy leader said he would like to see the building demolished and the site sold to developers.

But the site is ownerless so is being held by the Crown Estate, although the council is still responsible for it.

The hotel closed in 2004 and is now in a legal process known as escheat, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The deadline for expressions of interest to take on the site was 31 December.

'Nice little heap'

Councillor Les Tickner said expressions had been received, but added: "If these expressions of interest are not considered to be feasible for what we want, our fallback position is to try to get ownership."

He said the council had so far spent £900,000 to make the building safe but had been quoted £2.5m to demolish it.

He said: "There are no immediate problems with the building, but I would like the wind to blow it down in a nice little heap."

The former hotel was in such a dangerous state that Victoria Viaduct had to be closed to both cars and pedestrians for six weeks during May and June.