Construction firm Eric Wright has been selected to build new headquarters for Cumbria County Council.

Approval for the downsizing deal enables the council to go ahead with its Better Places For Work project, which will see office accommodation in the city decrease from 22 buildings to two.


It currently faces a £13m maintenance backlog liability on existing accommodation, along with high running costs. Selling the majority of these offices and moving to a custom-built premises will save around £1m each year.

The building will also help the council deliver new efficient ways of working in both management reductions and business support.

The new Botchergate headquarters will feature 450 workstations and accommodate around 700 staff, with hot desking, mobile working and modern technologies helping to further slash overheads and cut the council's carbon output in half.

(CD/IT)