Cumbria House
| Cumbria House | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Cumbria House | |
  Cumbria House Location within Cumbria | |
| General information | |
| Address | 107–117 Botchergate, Carlisle CA1 1RD |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 54°53′24″N 2°55′43″W / 54.8901°N 2.9287°W |
| Completed | 2016 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Eric Wright Construction |
Cumbria House is a municipal building in the Botchergate area of Carlisle, England. It is used by Cumberland Council.
History[edit]
Throughout much of the 20th century, the administration of Cumberland County Council had been carried out from the Courts in Carlisle.[1] After amalgamation with Westmorland County Council in 1974,[2] Cumbria County Council continued to use these facilities as well as a series of Victorian houses on Portland Square, Brunswick Street and Alfred Street North in Carlisle[3] together with Lonsdale House in Lower Gaol Yard in Carlisle.[4] In the early 21st century, as a cost-saving measure, council leaders decided to co-locate all council activities in a single building:[5] the site they selected had been occupied by a former retail unit which had been converted for residential use (107-109 Botchergate) and a medical treatment centre (113-117 Botchergate).[6][7][8]
The new building, which was designed by architects, AHR, and built by Eric Wright Construction, was completed in December 2016.[9][10] The design for the steel framed building involved a wide glass and steel main frontage facing Botchergate with the right hand section projected forward.[11][12] The footprint of the building, with the left hand section set back, was designed to create a forecourt in which people could safely protest without being at risk from road traffic.[11]
The new offices were built to accommodate some 700 staff and to act as a catalyst for urban regeneration in the Botchergate area.[11] Although the administrative offices of the County Council were at Cumbria House in Botchergate, formal meetings of the Council continued to be held at the County Offices in Kendal.[13] In July 2019, the environmental movement, Extinction Rebellion, held a demonstration in the forecourt outside the building.[14] In September 2022, it was decided that Cumbria House would become the new headquarters for Cumberland Council.[15]
References[edit]
- ^ "Small news". Cumberland & Westmorland Newspaper Archives. 18 January 1923. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN 0-10-547072-4.
- ^ "Ex-county council offices in Carlisle put up for sale". News and Star. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ "Going, going gone....Carlisle's county council offices are set for demolition". News and Star. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
- ^ "Plans for £10million council HQ submitted". ITV. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ "Office Building". Construction Index. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ "Botchgate Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan" (PDF). 1 July 2012. p. 25. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ "Proposal to seek approval for an Integrated General Practice Specialty Registrar Post" (PDF). My Surgery. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ "Cumbria County Council new offices now complete". Eric Wright. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ "Eric Wright completes £10 million council HQ". Place North West. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ a b c "First look inside Cumbria County Council's new £10.4m offices in Carlisle". News and Star. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ "Cumbria County Council Office". Glass Door. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ "Full Constitution" (PDF). Cumbria County Council. 1 October 2018. p. 3. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
- ^ "March in Whitehaven to protest coal mine". Times and Star. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ "HQ decided for new Cumberland Council". Cumbria Crack. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2023.