A late-C19 former corporation electric lighting station with later additions and alterations located in James Street, Carlisle.

The former Corporation Electric Lighting Station at Carlisle is not listed for the following principal reasons: * Alteration: the building has undergone significant multi-period extensions, has lost its original machinery, turbines, switchgear and tall brick chimney, and has been converted to office, storage and workshop use; * Lack of architectural interest: the building's eclectic style displays a past desire for expediency and functionality at the expense of architectural harmony; * Date threshold: the building is a relatively late example of an electricity generating station designed to supply power to the city's trams and principal street lighting.

The Carlisle Corporation Electric lighting Centre was funded by the City of Carlisle and was the first construction to be supervised by John William Laing who later became head of Laing's Building Company, one of the world's largest commercial construction companies. The building opened in 1899 and its coal fired boilers produced steam for firing generators that provided electricity initially to power the city's trams, light the principal streets and pump all of the city's sewage. In about 1910 the building was extended to the north and infilled a vacant plot between the original building and the 1899-built James Street Unitarian Church. The following year the council continued the expansion of the building by purchasing the church. In 1927 the building ceased operation as a power station when a replacement was opened at Willowholme and all machinery and turbines were removed shortly after together with the building's distinctive tall brick chimney. The building continued in use as offices, stores and a maintenance depot and in 1937 a large, two-storey extension in the Moderne style was added to the rear elevation to provide additional office and maintenance space. The whole complex was later operated by Norweb until 1987 when it became the Carlisle Enterprise Centre. All original windows and many doors throughout the entire complex were replaced during the 1990s and the interior has been substantially altered throughout to provide a combination of offices, workshops and storage space.

A former two and three-storey late C19 electricity power station built by J W Laing with later additions. The earliest part of the building are of brick with stone dressings beneath pitched slate roofs, while the late 1930s rear extension is rendered beneath a flat roof. The building is approximately square in plan.

Exterior: The front (James Street) elevation is of two differing blocks reflecting different dates of construction. The Edwardian right block is of six bays, two of which are finished with gables topped by stone copings. A chamfered stone plinth and string courses at first floor and eaves level runs across the whole elevation. Two and three light mullion windows are at the right side of the block. The older Victorian left block is set back slightly and is of five bays, each divided by stone pilasters which rise above the eaves. A central modern glass and timber door occupies a round-arched sandstone door surround flanked by classical columns above which the spandrels are carved in decorative relief. 'GEORGE WRIGHT ESQUIRE MAYOR 1899' is carved above the spandrels. The central bay is topped by a Dutch gable containing a carved stone plaque depicting surrounding shields. Window openings in the bay flanking the door are round-arched with surrounds of alternating moulded stone. Elsewhere all window openings are rectangular within moulded stone surrounds. A moulded stone string course and moulded sills run across the block as does a moulded cornice at eaves level. A modern sign 'CARLISLE ENTERPRISE CENTRE' runs across the central three bays between the ground and first floor. The Victorian block is fronted by a low stone plinth on top of which is a brick wall topped by a stone coping and wrought iron railings.

The left return has two gable ends, the taller to the right with a window to each floor, while the smaller gable end contains a 1980s inserted full-width metal roller shutter door to the former power station turbine hall. The remainder of the left return consists of the two-storey 1930s-built Moderne extension consisting of four bays with windows to all bays apart from the ground floor right bay where there is a door.

The rear Moderne elevation overlooking a car park has three broad bays separated by pilasters, each of which is divided into smaller bays. The left and right broad bays consist of three smaller bays. The right broad bay has been modified at ground floor level and contains two modern double doors beneath small windows flanking a full-height metal roller shutter. The central broad bay contains five ground floor smaller bays all of which have been modified and contain a mix of doors, roller shutter doors and windows. The left broad bay has windows at ground floor flanking a central double door with windows above. The upper floor contains matching windows along the entire elevation. The top of the central bay has 'CARLISLE ENTERPRISE CENTRE' painted above the windows and is finished with a stepped pitched parapet that rises from flanking pilasters.

The left return of the rear Moderne elevation is of three bays undertaken in matching style. A double door has been inserted into the right bay.

A rear block in matching Moderne style is attached to the left return of the rear elevation by means of a covered bridge at first floor level and is of three bays. A small, single-storey utility block is attached. The north elevation of the rear block overlooks Victoria Viaduct, also known as Nelson Bridge. it consists of three narrow bays separated by pilasters, the outer bays each containing a slender window, the central bay containing three slender windows. A pitched parapet rises above the central bay and contains a rectangular clock face in the Moderne style.

The former St James' Church stands on the corner of Victoria Viaduct and James Street and abuts the former Corporation Electric Lighting Centre on the Victoria Viaduct side and the Edwardian block on the James Street side. It is of sandstone construction beneath pitched slate roofs and is of two storeys high with five bays. From left to right it has gable ends on the first and fourth bays while the fifth bay is topped with a pyramidal roof. The second bay is angled to respect the street corner and contains the main door with a window above. A board bearing the words 'CARLISLE ENTERPRISE CENTRE' has been affixed the full width of this bay at the junction of the ground and first floor. There is another door with a window above in the fifth bay. All windows are modern and are of one or two lights with dressed stone lintels and sills. The upper part of the elevation is finished in slightly protruding round-arched dentilled fashion

Interior: The entire interior has been considerably altered to meet the needs of its current usage. Access into the Victorian block from James Street leads into a modern reception room from where rear corridors and a timber-panelled staircase to the upper floor give access to modern offices and workshop units occupying both floors. Toilets on the first floor retain glazed tiling to half height. Access to the adjoining Edwardian block is along these corridors which puncture the former north wall of the earlier Victorian block. Stone steps from the ground floor lead down into a basement where there is a strong room with an original heavy metal door.

The former turbine hall to the rear of the James Street elevation retains its original part-glazed roof lights, side walls of white glazed bricks with blind arches of blue glazed bricks, and iron rails affixed to moulded stone supports along which an overhead crane would formerly have travelled. A modern full-width door has been fitted to the south end of the turbine hall and modern subdivisions have been inserted to create a manager's workshop and office space. other modern alterations within the turbine hall include the installation of a new staircase, door and modern electrical switchgear, the blocking of numerous doorways, and the raising of the floor level throughout a large part of the hall.

The 1930s Moderne building too has seen substantial internal alteration and now contains office space, storage and workshop units to both floors. Former open areas such as loading bays have been enclosed beneath glazed or partially glazed roofs and a concrete staircase has been added. Some original metal-framed windows survives and the original lift remains in use. Access to the former James Street Unitarian Church could not be gained.