Barrow House of Lords owner warned over 'abusive' messages to council

Roger McKimm was issued with a court order banning him from sending any communications involving  'foul or abusive language or threats of any nature' to Westmorland and Furness Council.

The businessman was ordered to carry out repair work on the listed building, which was gutted by fire in 2017.

Fire ravaging the House of Lords in Barrow (Image: Newsquest)

But it has emerged that McKimm was made the subject of a civil order at Barrow's county court, banning him for sending abuse to council officers, councillors and the council's solicitors.

He was ruled to have breached that order by sending an abusive email to an employee of the solicitors' firm last August.

Judge Mackley sentenced McKimm to six weeks in prison following a committal for contempt of court.

The jail time is suspended until May 26 2026.

The building, on Abbey Road, was ravaged by fire and has been in ruins ever since.

READ MORE: The full fire investigation report and its findings after devastating blaze in Barrow

A feasibility study into potential future directions for the House of Lords was commissioned by the former Barrow Borough Council in 2021.

Residential units and pop-up pods for street food were among the suggestions made.

The feasibility report was commissioned by Barrow Borough Council using funding from the £1.1 million High Street Heritage Action Zone grant awarded by English Heritage in 2019.

Barrow Borough Council had issued an advisory letter pursuant to section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act, requesting the current owners of the House of Lords building clear debris and vegetation from areas of the site. 

Prior to that, the council had threatened enforcement action as it tendered a contract for around £150,000 in urgent works it said were needed to be carried out at the site.

More than £47,000 of public money had been spent on the upkeep of the private building since it was ravaged by fire.

The expenditure included scaffolding and other works needed to make the building safe, as well as surveys of the site.