£400k funding for flood work near collapsed court
BBCHundreds of thousands of pounds have been earmarked to protect a town from flooding after a building partially collapsed into the river.
Part of the Old Courthouse in Cockermouth, Cumbria, fell into the river Cocker in October 2023, sparking fears for the impact on the flood defences of the town, which had major deluges in 2009 and 2015.
The area's Labour MP, Markus Campbell-Savours, has announced £400,000 of government money had been allocated to improve temporary flood defences and work on a long-term solution.
The Environment Agency (EA) said the money will fund an investigation to identify what work is needed.
A EA spokesperson said: "The results of this investigation will be used to develop a long-term flood defence plan for the town, including decisions on costs and timescales, which we will share with residents in due course."
The EA is concerned if the Old Courthouse collapses further, it could raise upstream water levels during high flows, increasing flood risk to the town centre.
The Grade II listed building, which is almost 200 years old, had stood empty since 2021.
It was bought at auction in 2022 by company Halal Group with the aim of turning it into flats.
"The owner of the building remains responsible for securing and stabilising the structure and ensuring that no debris obstructs the river channel," the EA said.
Halal Group has been approached for comment.
The company previously said they had remained "actively engaged" with the EA since the collapse.
