Nesting seagulls have halted demolition work at a site in Carlisle.

The News & Star understands the birds will be left in peace this Friday once demolition company Bagnall UK stops work at the former United Utilities depot on Nelson Street, Denton Holme.

Demolition work started at the site in February and most of the former depot has now been taken down.

It is understood the Warrington-based company always planned to accommodate the birds nesting in the remaining roofs.

The company will return in July for about a month to finish demolishing the buildings.

A spokesman from United Utilities said a hiatus in work was necessary anyway because the roof of one of the buildings to be demolished lies over an adjacent building owned by North West Electricity.

More work needs to be done on this roof before demolition can continue so that North West Electricity staff are not left exposed to the elements with no roof over their heads.

The water company is also waiting for BT to re-route some cables. In January 2009, United Utilities was granted outline planning permission for 58 terraced houses and 45 apartments on the site. The permission was then given a five year extension in November 2012.

“Outline planning permission exists,” said the United Utilities spokesman. “It could be over a year before we’re in a position to move anything forward in terms of who we might sell it to and which developers come forward.”

The former United Utilities depot and North West Electricity site was once a Courtaulds’ factory, known as Hadrian’s Mill.

After textile manufacturer Courtaulds withdrew from Carlisle in the early 1980s, Norweb bought the site.

When North West Water took over Norweb and United Utilities was formed in 1995, the water company then took over the premises.

After it was granted outline permission in 2009 for the brownfield site, United Utilities chose to extend the permission because of the economic downturn.