A Cockermouth hotel which has been badly flooded twice in six years is to spend up to £350,000 on extensive flood defences.

A flood team will also be created to protect critical parts of the Trout Hotel.

The Crown Street building was forced to close for eight months after December’s flood, and despite negotiations, the hotel’s finance director has been unable to renew its insurance, which runs out at the end of the month.

But general manager Sue Eccles is determined to protect the building and the jobs of its 70-strong staff as well as they can.

“In 2009 we were told it was a one-in-a-100-year event so it didn’t seem worth spending lots on flood defences,” she said. “We now realise this is not the case and are planning on spending between £250,000 and £350,000.”

The company has applied to Allerdale council for permission to install a range of flood defences in the listed building.

The plan is to provide temporary protection to existing door and window openings. These would be clipped into a permanent frame when the building is at risk.

Flood-proof windows would be installed in bedrooms closest to the river and various external doors will be replaced with flood-proof doors and frames.

Larger openings would be protected by slot-in flood barriers. There would also be one-way drain valves, underfloor vents and a sump pump. The latter would be installed in the plant room.

The hotel hopes to have the measures in place by mid-November.

Mrs Eccles said: “We are looking to have a flood team. I have been asking staff to volunteer and many of them are keen to help. All these measures give me a bit more assurance that we can protect the building.”