Cries for help, lasers, 999 calls, vandalism, theft and trespassing - the derelict Derbyshire care home causing neighbours problems

It has now been nearly six years since the doors of the former Ada Belfield care home in Field Lane, Belper, next to the railway station, were closed for good.

Residents and the local MP are sick and tired of the issues linked with the now drastically dilapidated facility and want it demolished.

Derbyshire County Council, then under Conservative control, closed the facility due to budget cuts, but replaced it with a modern facility on the old Thornton’s site, which is now due to be sold as a going concern.

Since then, the derelict building has become host to all forms of anti-social behaviour and criminality, combined with increasing health and safety issues due to its structural integrity.

It has been a year since residents spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service urging Amber Valley Borough Council and Derbyshire’s police and fire services to take rapid action on the site.

However, residents claim there has been little progress in the form of proper action on the site, short of chipboard fencing being installed around most of the perimeter.

Ideally, they would rather it be demolished and eventually replaced with housing, as was approved by the borough council nearly six years ago.

Residents are worried for their own safety and do not wish to be in the firing line should those frequenting the site choose to take issue with their calls for intervention.

Recalling events of a recent weekend, one resident said: “I heard youths screaming ‘Help’ from the roof of the building.

“Fearing someone was in danger, I dialled 999. Police attended briefly, shone a torch across the front of the building, and then left.

“Shortly afterwards, from within my own garden, I observed red laser lights being shone onto and into our property from the same location. This was extremely distressing. I therefore called 999 again.

“I heard loud smashing and banging consistent with internal vandalism or forced entry.

“Police attended twice. On both occasions officers refused to enter the building, stating that it was too dangerous.

“If the building is so dangerous that police cannot safely enter — yet people are heard screaming for help, seen on the roof, and moving inside — what are members of the public supposed to do?

“This situation is not acceptable. Residents are being placed in a position where they feel unsafe in their own homes, and repeated emergency calls are becoming the only response available to us.

“This is no longer a minor planning or nuisance issue. It is a matter of public safety, community wellbeing, and confidence in local authority enforcement. Residents should not be left to manage the consequences of inaction.”

The owner of the building, who bought it for £735,000 at auction in 2020, could not be contacted for comment.

Jonathan Davies, Labour’s Mid Derbyshire MP, which includes Belper, has reiterated previous calls for the owner to “clean it up, knock it down and use it for housing”.

He said: “I have repeatedly called for the demolition of the site and want to see it put to good use, such as redevelopment for housing.

“As it stands, the site is a disgrace, and it is completely unfair that residents on Field Lane have to look at the ruined building and be subjected to repeated anti-social behaviour near their homes.

“I have met with Amber Valley Borough Council and Derbyshire Building Control Partnership at the site on several occasions and will continue to work with any party that can help resolve this issue.

A borough council spokesperson said: “Amber Valley Borough Council is aware of the ongoing issues with the unused building on Field Lane, Belper (former Ada Belfield Care Home).

“We have been working alongside Derbyshire Police to take steps to protect the site from unwanted behaviour such as criminal damage, trespass and anti-social behaviour, and this work is continuing.

“A notice was previously served on the owner requiring the building to be secured, and the council remains in contact with the owner regarding the condition and security of the site.

“We are aware of reports of increased activity at the site over the weekend and are currently looking into these concerns.

“We will continue to work with the owner and partner agencies to address issues relating to the site.”

Sergeant Jo-Anne Brooks, from the Amber Valley Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “We are aware of continuing problems with anti-social behaviour at a derelict former care home in Field Lane, Belper.

“Officers routinely patrol the area and continue to respond to reports of crime as we receive them.

“However the security of the site itself is a matter for the building’s owner and not a police matter.

“While we will attend and enter the building should there be an obvious immediate concern for someone inside the property, the safety of our officers is of paramount importance so should it be deemed that the building and conditions on the day are unsafe, a decision will be made not to enter if there is no indication of anyone present.

“While we appreciate the frustration and concern these issues at the site cause local residents, the long-term future of the building is not a matter for police and the legal powers we have around it are somewhat restricted.

“We are continuing to work closely with the owners of the building and the council around issues at this site.”

A fire service spokesperson said: “Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service has not received any calls to the site of the former Ada Belfield Care Home in Belper since July 2023.

“Crews continue to work with Derbyshire Constabulary and the building owner to ensure the site is secure.

“We would like to reassure local residents that we are working with our partners where there are known risks, and this will continue.”

A spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council said: “We are disappointed to hear that local people are experiencing anti-social behaviour on the site of the old Ada Belfield home.

“It is also disappointing to find out that the owners have not yet done anything with it since we sold it to them a few years ago.”