Dry rot found at Burnley Council-owned listed building

The council had to take urgent action after an outbreak of dry rot at their former offices

A council has been forced to carry out emergency work on one of its own listed buildings after an outbreak of dry rot.

Burnley Council had to seek retrospective consent for the work on its vacant Grade II listed offices in the town centre.

The building on Nicholas Street was used by the local authority up until 2012.

The site has been extensively marketed by the council, but as of yet a commercial buyer has not been found.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said a planning officer's report to councillors, published on 17 November, stated that "urgent action" was required to address "structural weakening" caused by dry rot.

"The visible areas of active dry rot were of sufficient magnitude to warrant immediate intrusive investigation to fully determine the extent of the outbreak and the scope of remedial works," the report said.

"Urgent action was required to prevent the widespread outbreak of rot affecting further areas of the building or the adjoining property and the potential for failure of structural elements.

"The works were limited to what was reasonably necessary to arrest the dry rot outbreak."

The building dates to the 1860s and has connections to the friendly societies movement, which has a long history within Burnley.