A prominent Carlisle park building is set to reopen after more than a decade.
Bitts Park Lodge was badly damaged during flooding in 2015 and has stood empty ever since.
Now that plans are in place to restore the building, work is underway to look at its potential future use. Options include developing the building into a café and community hub.
An innovative partnership has brought together Cumberland Council, Story Contracting, Story Homes, Carlisle College and Habitat for Humanity Great Britain.
The project will begin with essential repair work – carried out at no cost to the council – by Story Homes and Story Contracting.
Cumberland Council said: “Using their own teams and supply chain, they will carry out surveys and repairs to return the lodge to a dry and secure condition.
“Works will include roof repair, replacement joinery, new doors and windows, electrical and insulation works, and general preparation.
“The council will be inviting Carlisle College to participate in work experience and carry out elements of their construction courses on site.
“These activities would usually take place in a classroom environment, with materials discarded once training is complete.
“By working on Bitts Park Lodge instead, students will gain real-world experience, waste will be significantly reduced, and the work carried out will deliver a lasting benefit for the local community.”
Partners hope the scheme will act as a blueprint for bringing other derelict, council-owned buildings back into use for community purposes.
Leader of Cumberland Council Mark Fryer said: “We are delighted that the lodge will once again be open to the public.
“This partnership has the potential to show how the public, private and education sectors can work together in different ways to create wider community benefits.
“With significant housing pressures across Cumberland, this could also be an effective way of bringing run-down properties back into use while giving local students invaluable experience.”
Andy Clode, construction director at Story Contracting, said: “This is a really exciting project to be involved with, bringing a building back into use that has been talked about for many years.
“We are delighted to be working with the council and the college to make this happen, and I’d like to thank all our suppliers who have offered their services free of charge to support this initiative”.
Sarah McGrath, principal at Carlisle College, said: “This has the potential to be a fantastic opportunity for students to work on a real project, meet people from across the construction industry, and even open doors to apprenticeships or work experience.
“It’s something they can genuinely take pride in, knowing they played a part in bringing The Lodge back into use.”
Habitat for Humanity GB will help to bring national awareness to the lodge project through advocacy and communications, capturing environmental impact data and bringing support through their ReStore and partners to highlight the value of bringing empty buildings back into use.
Henrietta Blackmore, national director of Habitat for Humanity Great Britain added: “We’re delighted to play a part in bringing Bitts Park Lodge back to life.
“Across the country, buildings that could be great homes or community assets sit empty so it’s wonderful that in Cumberland, through strong local partnership and creative thinking, we’ve found such a great solution.”
Surveys that are needed on the building will take place this summer, with work starting in September and it is hoped that the project will be part of the college curriculum from October.
