The councillor who represents an area plagued by vandals in Cheltenham has welcomed plans to speed up the demolition of a derelict farm building that has been targeted by teenage arsonists.
The site at Holmlea Farm, on Springbank road, has long been a target of anti-social behaviour, and local councillor Peter Jeffries said ‘The site has always been a bit of a blind spot, as it is set back from the road, behind trees.’
‘We need to ensure this doesn’t happen again.’
The fire, that broke out on Wednesday evening, sending plumes of smoke into the air, ripped through two buildings before the fire services arrived. A spokesman for the fire service said it took more than three hours to bring the fire under control. The area has since been cordoned off and made safe.
Police are now treating this incident as arson, as three teenagers were seen running from the scene. They are described as two boys, 14-15 years old, and dressed in dark clothing, and a girl with long brown hair and slim build and of a similar age.
The site, which was bought by Cheltenham Council in 2019, has several unused structures including a two-storey house and garage, which are all due to be knocked down to make way for the Golden Valley Cyber Development.
