The staggering cost of emergency works to make Carlisle's Central Plaza Hotel safe is creeping closer to £1m, it has been revealed.

Since January the estimate costs to remove any immediate risk to the public have amounted to an estimated £610,000.

Prior to that Carlisle City Council had already forked out £250,000 to maintain the crumbling Grade II listed building.

A report to the council's executive adds that contractors have identified a number of defects that will pose increasing safety risks. These, the report states, cannot be accurately quantified, but would be in excess of the current expenditure.

It comes as councillors pledged to take a number of steps to ensure a resolution is found.

Following a heated and politically-charged debate and an extraordinary meeting of Carlisle City Council, members accepted a substantive motion put forward by the authority's leader Colin Glover.

It stated: "The Central Plaza Hotel is becoming increasingly derelict and represents both a serious health and safety risk as well as having a severe impact on local businesses and the wider city economy through continued road and pavement closures."

Members agreed that the on-going cost to the city council was unsustainable. The council agreed to:

  • Continue discussions with Historic England to explore the merits of applying to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to remove the Grade II listing.
  • Continue negotiations with Crown Estate to resolve the ownership issues and facilitate the granting of a new freehold either to itself or a developer.
  • In the absence of renovation and investment plans, to seek Crown Estate and Government assistance to enable demolition of the building, as the council is not the owner of the building and cannot demolish without consent or use of existing emergency powers.
  • Work together with potential developers, Historic England, Cumbria County Council and the local MP.
  • Request urgent government support and financial assistance for local businesses and their employees who are being adversely affected.
  • Place on record thanks to staff for their continued hard work, dedication and commitment in dealing with the building in the absence of other agencies stepping forward.

Yesterday, huge cranes set to work to remove several tonnes of loose masonry from a high of 18m off the front of the building .

This work will continue today.

Meanwhile its has been revealed Newcastle-based company Inveniam has a "serious interest" in taking it on the former hotel .

The firm has been in discussions with the council for six months and has undertaken feasibility studies, with plans for a mixed use comprising of hotel rooms, small-serviced office space, a bar and bistro and meeting room provision.

It is now in "advanced talks" to develop a robust business case that would meet the needs of the Crown Estate.

The council was alerted to a serious problem of the loose stone when contractors went to check a chimney. The road and footpaths outside the building were closed to both vehicles and pedestrians on May 2.

Since then nearby businesses have been forced to temporarily close and, in one case, make staff temporarily redundant.

The cost of demolition is expected to be about £1m .

The report to the executive, which will be considered on May 30, recommends a General Fund Reserve is used to cover the recent emergency works.