The former Carlisle offices of Cumbria County Council have been put on the market.

The imposing Grade II listed Victorian townhouses in the heart of the city have planning permission to be converted into 22 homes and are being marketed by Savills northern development team.

The three and four-storey buildings, on Portland Square, Brunswick Street and Alfred Street North, occupy about an acre around the green of Portland Square.

Agents selling the sites have hailed them as among the city’s finest examples of period architecture.

They have been vacant since the authority made the move to its purpose-built multi-million pound new home on nearby Botchergate.

Built in the late 1860s and early 1880s, a number of the former council buildings retain their period features.

Matthew Bell, of Savills development team in the north, said: “As one of Carlisle’s finest collections of period buildings, these terraces present a surviving example of a central urban Victorian residential square.

“As such, they are of regional importance in terms of historic planned urban design and in the high architectural quality of external features and internal well-proportioned living accommodation.”

Steps have already been taken to make the sites attractive to potential developers.

“The site benefits from detailed planning consent for the conversion of the office space to 22 homes which would take them back to their original use,” Mr Bell added.

“But it would also lend itself to a range of development scenarios, subject to obtaining the necessary consents.

“We are anticipating a high volume of interest from both local and national housebuilders and developers.”

The properties for sale are being marketed by formal tender and offers are invited on an unconditional basis by noon on February 15.

Cumbria County Council now has all of its staff in the city based at Cumbria House.

Its creation has been credited with luring other businesses to Botchergate because of the hundreds of workers who are now based there.

One of the latest shops to open close by is Enviro-Rheino.

The shops sells a range of goods including dried food and vegan and cruelty free shampoo.

The shop, run by Rachael Rheinbach aims to sell goods without plastic packaging.

Rachael, 27, is keen for the people of Carlisle to do their bit and cut down on the amount of packaging they use.

She said: “About a year ago I started reading about the whole issue of plastic.

“I felt really passionate about it. I spoke to my partner and I decided I wanted to help the world in some way.

“The idea is people bring in their own containers and can fill them with pasta, lentils, oats and rice without needing packaging.

“I also stock bamboo cups and toothbrushes as well as laundry liquid and fabric softener and zero waste soap.

“These kind of shops are popular around the country but this is the first one that I know of in Carlisle.”

The shop also sells wooden toys for children and a range of furniture.