Carpet’s Contaminated by Sewage, Toilets Broken, New Lift Broken Voreda House Flush with Problems

The councils new £8.3million pound office block in Penrith is continuing to face a few issues with staff and public toilets not working with reports only one toilet is working intermittently in the building leading to plans for portable toilets to be used.

Carpets in the new £8.3 million building have already had to be replaced after becoming contaminated by overflowing sewage in the building.

Facility’s management staff are having to attend the building daily to try and unblock and keep flowing the one remaining toilet on the ground floor. But many staff are again working from home due to the ongoing issues that have today also seen the new £90,000 lift in the building breakdown.

The lift was one of many issues highlighted in the councils recent ‘lessons learned’ report that gave a damming report into failures by the former Eden council administration and its Leader over the delivery of the Voreda House Project leading to calls for Cllr Taylor’s resignation over the catalogue of failures and coverups of information highlighted in the Westmorland and Furness Council report.

Staff members have told Penrith.Town that on some occasions raw sewage has flowed into the lift shaft from the upper floors leading to facility’s management staff embers having to clime into the lift shaft to attempt  to clean up the sewage that has gathered in the bottom of the lift shaft.

Another staff member told us today “toilets shut and remained closed until further notice. Unable to contain the flooding and it encroached on the bottom stair well, so stairs area closed too.”

Contractors who have been trying to unblocking drains at Voreda House said “no way they've been plumbed in correctly”

Westmorland and Furness Council who inherited the Voreda House project from Eden Council have been asked for comment on the latest issues faced by the councils £8.3 million office. 

A spokesperson for Westmorland and Furness Council said: “There is an issue with some welfare facilities within Voreda House.

“The contractor has now identified the issue and is dealing with this in line with their responsibilities. The council will not incur any additional costs as a consequence.”