Terrified residents speak of ‘daily attacks’ from yobs hurling bricks from abandoned mental institute
Council officers and police have been repeatedly called out to the former Cherry Grange mental institute in Bentley, near Doncaster – where the building is left in a derelict state.
Continued vandalism from yobs has led to homes being targeted say residents and they say they’ve had enough.
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Hide AdA resident who lives close to Cherry Grange said the council put a fence around the site only for it to be pulled down within 10 minutes of contractors leaving the site.
They said themselves and their neighbours are living a ‘daily nightmare’ with one young couple refusing to let their five-year-old child in the garden to play due to fears of obscenities and projectiles coming towards the house.
A video seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service – which it has not published – shows one person attempting to pull down what’s left of the roof on the dilapidated structure.
One neighbour said if nothing is done and the site properly secured, somebody is going to get killed. Another resident claimed the council told them that the site is not being pulled down.
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Hide AdBut council bosses say that demolition is one of the options being considered and if the site is not secured properly, then the landowner will be dealt with through the courts.
“Myself and our neighbours are living a nightmare,” one resident said. “You can see kids on the roof literally on the edge of killing themselves or their friends. I showed this to the council, so they erected a second fence on a Friday night – only for it to be pulled down literally 10 minutes after the contractors left.
“This is another massive cost to us taxpayers along with the scores of visits by police. This is happening every day/night without fail and worse in the lighter nights. One of my neighbours has a young child of five, who has never played in the back garden as she is scared of the threatening behaviour from the kids shouting obscenities at them from the roof of the building and throwing bricks in their garden.
“It seems to me nothing will get done until someone gets seriously injured or even worse dies.”
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Hide AdDan Swaine, director of economy and environment, said: “Doncaster Council is aware of the ongoing issues surrounding Cherry Grange. Our officials have visited regularly to gather evidence on those responsible for causing damage to the building and/or been involved in instances of anti-social behaviour.
“Action has been taken against those individuals identified and officers will continue to monitor the site on a regular basis. We are taking firm action with regards to the mismanagement of the property. If the land owner fails to comply with the legal notices served, further enforcement action will be taken through the Magistrates Court. A variety of options remain on the table as to the future of the building, one of which includes potential demolition.”