A Cumbrian MP has stood up in Parliament and challenged the owner of Cockermouth’s Old Courthouse to publish his plans for the building quickly.
Markus Campbell-Savours spoke in the House of Commons this morning following a radio interview with the Grade II-listed building’s owner Samiul Ahmed, who claimed Cumberland Council was holding up his plans.
The building partially collapsed into the River Cocker in October 2023.
Mr Ahmed, who bought the building for £51,000 in 2022, has not progressed his development plans to turn it into flats – and blames legal notices from Cumberland Council for stopping him.
The council disputes this. Privately-owned buildings are the responsibility of their owners. The legal notices do not prevent an owner from carrying out work on their property.
He said: “Samiul Ahmed bought the Old Courthouse for a knockdown price and ignoring professional advice allowed it to collapse into the River Cocker, so it was disappointing to hear the owner on radio continuing to blame the council.
“My message to Mr Ahmed is publish your plans, prove you can finance them and quick before the town floods through your inaction.
“Would the leader of the house agree that a debate on council powers to deal with greedy, incompetent property speculators is well overdue?”
Mr Campbell-Savours’ Early Day Motion said: “We believe that Mr Ahmed is now seeking to transfer responsibility to Cumberland Council taxpayers a potential bill which could range between £1 and £4 million and assert it should not be the responsibility of taxpayers to pick up the liabilities of persons whose motivation has been property speculation for a quick profit; and calls upon Mr Ahmed to fund the restoration costs.”
Mr Ahmed has denied Mr Campbell-Savours’ claims.
Last month, the Environment Agency told Cumbria Crack: “We are continuing to maintain our temporary defences at the Old Courthouse to reduce the risk of flooding to the town.
“We will also continue to work with key partners, including the council, to manage wider flood risk for the local community.
“The owner of the building remains responsible for securing and stabilising the structure and ensuring that no debris obstructs the river channel, which could increase flood risk to the town centre.”
Following the Old Courthouse’s collapse, a temporary pedestrian walkway was installed almost immediately but Cocker Bridge did not reopen to traffic, with temporary traffic lights, until December 2023.A five-metre scaffold screening was erected on the side of the bridge. The work was commissioned by Cumberland Council and was undertaken by its specialist highways engineers. That was removed in autumn 2024.
Cumberland Council issued the legal notice to the owner to carry out urgent work to the Grade II-listed building in January 2024. However, the owner failed to carry out any work.
The legal notice listed the minimum work needed on the building, as endorsed by Historic England.
These included:
- Temporary stabilisation work to be installed to first and second floor.
- Careful demolition of the first and second floors to the rear wing.
- Installation of weatherproofing to the remaining masonry walls.
Extensive investigations of the building have been undertaken by the council with support of agencies.
However any proposed work is impacted by:
- 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 work needs to minimise pollution from any debris.
- Requirements for archaeological investigation and subsequent detailed archaeological excavation if deemed necessary.
