The strongest hint yet has been dropped that Penrith could be getting a new hotel.
In July, Eden Council announced that a buyer had been found for Mansion House, but remained tight as to their identity.
However, at a recent meeting of the district council’s finance scrutiny committee, Neil McCall (Lib Dem, Shap) said the justification for the £5 million-plus spend on Voreda House as a new HQ was on the basis that it would then get rid of two buildings — the town hall and Mansion House — which were expensive to heat and not up to modern standards.
“I understand that we are hoping that the Mansion House is bought by someone as a hotel. I assume that is confidential as to who is interested at the moment,” he said.
Paul Sutton, Eden’s interim director resources, confirmed that the information remained confidential. Roger Burgin (Lib Dem, Penrith) said on one of the introductory slides he had seen there was mention of a “new hotel for Penrith”, but that didn’t figure anywhere in the presentation which councillors had just been given.
Mr Sutton explained that as it was decision which had been taken on pink papers, that information was just for councillors and not for wider public consumption.
