Sheffield Ski Village hit by another arson attack ahead of ￡22.5 million redevelopment
The derelict site of Sheffield’s ski village, the origin of some of the UK's most promising winter sports athletes but completely destroyed by an arson attack in 2012, was on fire again over the weekend in a suspected arson attack.
The hillside in the Parkwood Springs area of the Yorkshire city was ablaze as a number of fires in the area destroyed grass and woodland.
Drone footage, taken by local aerial photographer Christopher Emsley, captures the impact the fire had on the site, which is set to receive a ￡22.5 million makeover as part of plans to open a new action and adventure sports facility.
Extreme Destinations, the company behind the new development, shared its vision to breathe new life into the area in June. The presentation included details of a new ski slope, redeveloped mountain bike trails, a ski lodge, skydiving centre, restaurants, bars, shops and accommodation.
It’s estimated the weekend’s fire has damaged 700 square metres of grassland next to the old ski slope – just a small proportion of the 48 acre site that will house Extreme’s new development.
Byron Robinson, crew manager at Sheffield Central fire station, told the Star that it took nearly five hours to put out the blaze on Sunday, after they also attended a series of suspected arson attacks in the area on Saturday night.
Local residents on Twitter seemed unsurprised by the latest blaze on the site, which has been plagued with arson attempts over the last decade.
“Hey Sheffield, you’ll never guess what what…” said Katie Fenn.
“Just as predictably as the tides – as time passes, so the Ski Village burns,” wrote Dave Chaston.
“Petition to have ‘Sheffield Ski Village on fire’ recognised as an official landmark of Sheffield,” added Mango Fandango.
Sheffield Council said the latest news demonstrates the desperate need to regenerate the area. “The latest fire further highlights the need to develop plans for the ski village and the surrounding area.”
The ambitious redevelopment project is due to begin phase one of building this year, which included the resurrection of the old dry ski slope, with hope of opening in 2019.
Chris Lewis, Property Development Director at Extreme, explained the recent fires cause no problems for the project. After legal agreements are approved by the Council the site will begin to be cleared – a process that he says will prevent any further fire issues. The next stage of the developer's plan is due to be released later this month.
In its heyday the slope was one of the largest artificial ski resorts in Europe, with four pistes, nursery slopes and a toboggan run. It was a popular destination for budding British skiers and snowboarders, including Sheffield native and Winter Olympian James Woods, who credits the site with the launch of his successful freestyle skiing career.