Norwich: Calls for Trowse site to be secured following arson

Serryus Property Company has had outline planning permission on the former May Gurney and Trowse sites since 2013 and has finally lodged full plans this summer.

However, after Saturday's blaze gutted a dilapidated office block, needing 19 fire crews to extinguish it, police are treating it as suspected arson.

The developer has refused to comment when contacted on multiple occasions since the fire.

The fire caused significant damage on the former industrial site in Trowse (Image: Supplied)

District councillor John Overton raised worries about the regular anti-social behaviour on the site in the aftermath and is being backed by Trowse Parish Council and neighbours of the site.

Among them is Marion Catlin, who was among those outraged by the drastic tree felling that took place at the site earlier in the year, which is being investigated, with the developer insisting they have done nothing wrong.

she said: “People living in Trowse have been fearing a fire on the May Gurney site and pumping stations for the last year or two.  

“Young people come and want to explore but they do a lot of damage in the meantime and there is also risk of a serious accident.” 

Marion Catlin is among the people living in the area who wishes for the site to be better looked after white it waits for redevelopment (Image: Newsquest)

She said that people living in the area want the landowner to do more to protect the buildings.

Marion said: “The landowner and the councils should step up and protect these buildings that form the heritage of Norwich and Trowse. 

“One option is to make them available for 'meanwhile use', a temporary lease which means that the property can be occupied for creative use and then reclaimed when the developer wants to do something with it.  

“There are artists crying out for studio space and are willing to take on scruffy premises like the May Gurney offices and the Grade II listed Victorian Pumping stations in Trowse Millgate.” 

READ MORE: Worries about derelict Norwich homes site after arson blaze

The site has seen lots of vandalism and anti-social behaviour since it closed (Image: Serryus property company)

READ MORE: Videos of fire at May Gurney site in Trowse 

Trowse Parish Council chairwoman Heather Bowers said: “Antisocial behaviour has been ongoing for some time now at the May Gurney site, and is of concern to the parish council and residents alike. 

“As private land, we have been advised that, apparently, there is little that we can do, other than report activities when they happen. 

“Although steps have been taken, access to the building is not difficult to achieve and it therefore comes as no surprise to any of us living locally that the antisocial behaviour has escalated resulting in a fire at the site.” 

The suspected arson attack happened on Saturday night (Image: James Rose)