Council reviewing whether to fix or demolish properties hit by arsonists near Peterborough bus station

Derelict city centre houses owned by Peterborough council could be brought back into use – or demolished – as work continues to assess the damage caused following an arson attack.

The homes in Cromwell Road, across the street from Peterborough Bus Station, have been used by squatters – as well as drug users – for months, and the council had taken measures to prevent people from accessing the properties, including boarding up doors and windows.

But earlier this month, arsonists struck, having gained entry through the roof. Three of the houses were damaged in the incident, which happened on Thursday, November 3.

Following the arson attack, city councillor Mohammed Jamil called for the empty homes to be put back into use, saying: "I don’t know why the houses were shut down in the first place.

”We have people staying in B&Bs and hotels because they don’t have homes, which costs the council money, and we are not using the housing stock we already have. These are good homes, that were built to last."

Now the council have said they are carrying out work to make the properties more secure to prevent further incidents – and to assess what future the homes might have.

A spokesperson from Peterborough City Council said: “Following the initial eviction of the squatters at Cromwell Road we arranged for all the properties front and rear to be steel boarded up, unfortunately the perpetrators then removed parts of the roof to regain entry.

"We have now fenced the area and have a regular security check throughout the night. We are currently carrying out urgent work to ascertain the future of the properties owned by Peterborough City Council on Cromwell Road, to see whether it is viable to bring the properties back into use or if they need to be demolished.”

Anyone with information about the arson attack is asked to call Cambridgeshire Police on 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.