A DERELICT care home which has been hit by five serious arson attacks already in 2019 is set to be demolished due to rising safety fears about its structure.
The council’s building control officers have been checking the former Belmont care home, on Lamb Lane, Monk Bretton, which was most recently set alight last Friday afternoon.
According to local police, who set the building as its priority for the coming month, youngsters have been seen by locals entering the building and an investigation has started to find out the names of those responsible.
A spokesperson from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue confirmed last Friday’s incident was another deliberate one, with crews from Barnsley and Cudworth stations attending the scene at 4.25pm.
Firefighters spent around an hour at the scene, using hose reels to put out the fire and fans were used to clear the smoke.
A resident, who did not wish to be named, urged officials to act and said the structure was standing ‘by a thread’.“There’s been five serious fires since the start of January and it’s just not on,” she added.
A discussion will take place between police and the owner of the building next week to try and find a solution regarding what will happen to it.
If an agreement cannot be reached, the police say there are other options - including legislation which effectively forces the owner to demolish it - to move forward.
