Flooding caused by a leak at Westmorland and Furness Council’s £8.5 million Voreda House forced the full closure of the building for a week in September. Large sections of the building remain unusable, with the first floor still out of action and off limits to staff and visitors.
Following the temporary closure, the council was able to partially reopen the building, allowing some staff to return to work on the second floor. On the ground floor, the reception area, the Patterdale Room, and three interview rooms were unaffected and brought back into a week after the initial flooding.
Contractors have continued to work on areas of the building damaged by the leak, primarily the first floor, which requires extensive repairs. In October, the council indicated that this work was expected to be completed towards the end of 2025. However, the first floor remains out of use several months after the flooding.
On Friday afternoon, Westmorland and Furness Council issued a notice confirming it had awarded a £43,632 contract, including VAT, to an Oxfordshire-based property and construction consultancy. The contract will run until 31 March 2026 and covers the design and management of remedial works relating to water leak damage at Voreda House.
The council has also identified the need for further work to address longstanding issues with toilets and drainage that have affected the building since it opened. These complex drainage works are expected to keep contractors on site until at least spring 2026.
The council’s Assistant Director of Corporate Assets said the requirement to undertake the works, and the costs associated with them, were considered to be capable of being addressed through existing contractual mechanisms.
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