The owner of Cockermouth’s Old Courthouse says he remains committed to the town and his building.
Samiul Ahmed, a London property consultant, bought the building at auction in July 2022 for £51,000.
On October 8 2023, part of the building collapsed overnight into the River Cocker, forcing the next-door bridge to close to traffic and pedestrians.
A temporary pedestrian walkway was installed almost immediately but Cocker Bridge did not reopen to traffic, with temporary traffic lights, until December.
A five-metre-high scaffold screening has been erected on the side of the bridge. The work was commissioned by Cumberland Council and was undertaken by their specialist highways engineers.
Cumberland Council has taken legal action against Mr Ahmed to force work to be carried out and was in talks with him, but Mr Ahmed claimed the authority had not been in contact with him.
Cumberland Council dispute his claims.
A spokesman 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 work and will pursue him to recoup the costs.”
Mr Ahmed said: “I want to see the building restored. I don’t want it to be demolished. I am committed to Cockermouth. The people were so welcoming and lovely.
“I don’t want to see the Old Courthouse demolished. I fell in love with the building and its architecture. In an ideal world, I want to see it restored.
“I estimate it will take about £3 million to do it.”
He said he was devastated when he heard it had collapsed and drove to Cockermouth immediately when he heard the news – a seven-hour drive.
He claimed that the legal action had tied his hands as the private owner of the building because it would be a complicated process to assess and repair.
These include:
- The site is land locked, access to allow any works to be undertaken is challenging.
- The building is Grade II listed and any further work is required to be minimal to protect the fabric of the historic building.
- The River Cocker, next 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 work needs to minimise pollution from any debris.
- There are requirements for archaeological investigation and subsequent detailed archaeological excavation if deemed necessary.
The authority used legal powers available to it to force Mr Ahmed to carry out work on the property but Mr Ahmed lays the blame for the stalemate at the door of the council for not doing enough, despite him owning the property and being legally responsible for it.
He said he had been abused on the streets of Cockermouth from people upset about the Old Courthouse and he claimed he had put in offer to buy the former Jennings site, but withdrew it because he was concerned about the council’s support.
In a statement released today, Cumberland Council said: “Cumberland Council has confirmed to the owner of the Old Courthouse building in Cockermouth that it will complete the urgent works on the building and will pursue him to recoup the costs.
“The council had previously served Section 54 Notices, pursuant to the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, on the private owner. 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 – in January and February 2024 – requiring urgent works to be completed. As no steps have been taken, the council has confirmed that they will complete the urgent works and will pursue the owner to recoup the costs.”
It said it was in ongoing discussions with partners including Historic England and the notices listed the minimum work needed on the building, as endorsed by Historic England.
These include temporary stabilisation works to be installed to first and second floor, then careful demolition of the first and second floors to the rear wing and installation of weatherproofing to the remaining masonry walls.
Agencies – including Cumberland Council, Historic England, Natural England and the Environment Agency – continue to work together with the aim of protecting public safety.
Extensive investigations of the building have been undertaken by the council with support of agencies.
