Cumbria House

Municipal building in Carlisle, Cumbria, England

Cumbria House

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 / 54.8901; -2.9287
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]

1. ^ "Small news". Cumberland & Westmorland Newspaper Archives. 18 January 1923. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
2. ^ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN 0-10-547072-4.
3. ^ "Ex-county council offices in Carlisle put up for sale". News and Star. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
4. ^ "Going, going gone....Carlisle's county council offices are set for demolition". News and Star. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
5. ^ "Plans for £10million council HQ submitted". ITV. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
6. ^ "Office Building". Construction Index. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
7. ^ "Botchgate Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan" (PDF). 1 July 2012. p. 25. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
8. ^ "Proposal to seek approval for an Integrated General Practice Specialty Registrar Post" (PDF). My Surgery. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
9. ^ "Cumbria County Council new offices now complete". Eric Wright. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
10. ^ "Eric Wright completes £10 million council HQ". Place North West. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
11. ^ 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.
12. ^ "Cumbria County Council Office". Glass Door. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
13. ^ "Full Constitution" (PDF). Cumbria County Council. 1 October 2018. p. 3. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
14. ^ "March in Whitehaven to protest coal mine". Times and Star. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
15. ^ "HQ decided for new Cumberland Council". Cumbria Crack. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2023.