A DEVELOPER says he is exhausted as his latest renovation project has been repeatedly targeted by vandals - but says his ‘hands are tied’ as he waits for a decision from council planning officers.
The Angel, on High Street, Bolton-upon-Dearne, was hit by firebugs three times in five days last month - and there have also been reports of young vandals breaking windows and running around on the roof.
Lewis Monfredi, director of Wath Construction, said delays in the planning process have meant the site - which he bought in April 2018 - remains off-limits while he waits to begin work, and he can only do so much to secure it.
“We’re lucky it’s not burned down yet,” said Lewis, 55.
“I’m stuck here while people keep setting fire to my building and potentially getting hurt themselves.
“My hands are tied, I can’t do anything until the planning permission is passed.”
An initial planning application by another party saw the pub set to be knocked down, but after a review by planning officers this was declined as the council wanted to retain the original building.
Lewis met with his architect and planning representatives at a pre-application meeting in October to discuss whether the council’s conditions could be met.
With both parties satisfied, a planning application was received on January 7 for permission to convert the pub building into two apartments, alongside eight other houses on the land around the building.
Lewis has begun working inside the former pub, but with a recent rise in vandalism at the site his work has been more about preventing further incidents.
He has secured the site with fences bolted to the side of the pub, topped with razor wire, and drives past every day. But he says vandals are finding other ways onto the property that can’t be accounted for.
And it is this that has led to firefighters being called three times in five days, starting on April 17 - the same date Lewis was told by the council he would be receiving a decision on whether he could start work. On each occasion trespassers have been on the property, Lewis says he has made sure the day after that any risks to security have been dealt with.
A spokesman for Barnsley Council said it couldn’t comment on undetermined planning applications, but Matthew Gladstone, executive director for place, said the ‘long-term responsibility to ensure that the site remains secure lies with the owner or developer’.
