Council sells building after fire at nearby site

A former children's services building in Derby has been sold by the council after it was left unsafe following a fire at a neighbouring site in 2024.

Godfrey Care has bought Ashtree House in Osmaston Road - which was a hub for supervised family visits for children in care - from Derby City Council at auction for £920,000.

The council said a fire at the neighbouring La Gondola restaurant made the building "unsafe for continued use" and it had been empty since August 2024.

The Labour-run authority said the property was declared surplus to requirements in December 2024. It added the building had "high maintenance costs" and a "challenging layout" for a modern service.

The blaze at La Gondola was tackled by eight fire crews, two water carriers and an aerial ladder platform with nearby roads closed to traffic and residents asked to keep windows and doors closed.

Derbyshire Police said a 40-year-old man was arrested in relation to the suspected arson of the restaurant and later released.

The force said the investigation had since been closed and no further lines of inquiry were being explored.

Kathy Kozlowski, cabinet member for governance and finance at Derby City Council, said the decision to sell the property was part of the authority's "ongoing commitment" to responsible asset management.

"The capital receipt provides a significant boost to our finances, allowing us to protect and reinvest in the essential services that our residents rely on most.

"It also paves the way for a private developer to breathe new life into a building that has stood empty, in a way that the council simply could not afford to do."

Godfrey Care has now lodged a planning application with the council to convert the site into a residential care home for seven young people.

Co-chief executive Andy Barnes said the company was "delighted to invest in this property" as part of its development of specialist residential care services for people with complex needs in the city.

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