THE owner of the Old Courthouse in Cockermouth will be pursued to pay for works on the building after he allegedly failed to comply with a legal notice issued by the council.

The listed building dramatically half collapsed into the River Cocker last year after a period where it was known to be unstable.

Cumberland Council said it has confirmed to the owner of the building, Samiul Ahmed, that the authority will complete the urgent works on the building and will 'pursue him to recoup the costs'.

The council had previously served so-called Section 54 notices on Mr Ahmed. This enables a local authority to carry out urgent works for the preservation of listed buildings in their area after giving notice to the owner.

Two notices were served on the owner of the property (January and February 2024) requiring urgent works to be completed, the council said. As 'no steps have been taken', the council has confirmed that it will complete the urgent works.

This comes as Mr Ahmed has accused the council of leaving him facing 'a wall of silence' in relation to the work on the building.

Mr Ahmed said: "Since September 2023, I have sent multiple emails, made phone calls and direct requests for dialogue, all with the aim of preserving this historic building, with extensive documentation outlining potential breaches of statutory duties by the council.

"To date, I have received no acknowledgment, let alone a constructive response. A formal complaint under The Localism Act 2011 is pending."

A Cumberland Council spokesperson said: “We have met with the owner of the property, exchanged correspondence and spoken to him on multiple occasions but as yet no meaningful steps have been taken to progress the works.

“We have issued legal notices in attempt to make progress, but these have not been adhered to, so we have now confirmed that we will complete the urgent works and will pursue him to recoup the costs.”

The Old Courthouse is a Grade-II listed building, and the council is in ongoing discussions with partners including Historic England.

The notices listed the minimum works needed on the building, as endorsed by Historic England.

These include temporary stabilisation works to be installed to the first and second floors, then careful demolition of the first and second floors to the rear wing and installation of weatherproofing to the remaining masonry walls.

The building continues to be stand - however any proposed works are impacted by a series of factors:

  • The site is land locked, access to allow any works to be undertaken is challenging.
  • The building is Grade II listed and any further works is required to be minimal to protect the fabric of the historic building.
  • The River Cocker, adjacent to the site, is part of the River Derwent and Tributaries Site of Special Scientific Interest.
  • The impact on waste flows and the protection of flood defences needs careful consideration.
  • Any works need to minimise pollution from any debris.
  • Requirements for archaeological investigation and subsequent detailed archaeological excavation if deemed necessary.

The Cocker Bridge in Cockermouth, which closed following the collapse, reopened to traffic in mid-December last year.

A five-metre-high scaffold screening has been erected on the side of the bridge.

Traffic is being controlled by traffic lights on either side of the bridge. They are manually controlled during term time (Monday to Friday) between 8am - 10am and 2pm - 4pm each day. Pedestrian access across the bridge has also been maintained.