Leicester: Adventure playground repairs delayed after fire damage

Firefighters tacked the blaze in the playground's art room in January

A community adventure playground in Leicester said it was still waiting to repair a building badly damaged in a fire in January.

Part of the Goldhill Adventure Playground, in Windley Road, caught fire on 28 January.

Leicestershire Police said it believed the fire was deliberately started and launched an investigation.

Playground manager Dee Dixon said she hoped repairs would be done before the project's busy summer period starts.

"We still can't use the building - it's a nightmare," she said.

The fire caused extensive damage to the building

"It's still a burnt out shell."

Mrs Dixon said repair work had not begun because the insurance company for Leicester City Council - which owns the site- is "dragging their feet".

"The insurance company are dillydallying about what they are going to do about it, so it's still locked off," she said.

"We're just waiting for them to come and replace the roof and then we can get back in there and start working.

"It's been 14 weeks and as far as we're concerned we could have the work done and dusted and then carried on as normal.

"We're just waiting now."

Manager Dee Dixon vowed the project would "come back stronger"

Mrs Dixon previously said the fire had had a devastating effect on the scheme which runs a food bank, education sessions for young people excluded from school, and daily play sessions for local children.

At the time of the fire, she said a person had poured petrol near the project's art room and set it alight.

A city council spokesperson confirmed a contractor had been appointed after it had gained authorisation to proceed.

They said: "We know how important this building is to Goldhill Adventure Playground and we have been working with our insurers to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.

"We have also previously provided funding for temporary toilets to help address some of the disruption caused by the arson attack.

"We're now finalising the programme for the required repair work and this will be confirmed with the adventure playground as soon as possible."

Leicestershire Police said no arrests had been made and that their inquiries were continuing.