Fire-ravaged derelict Lanarkshire care home demolished after years of misery for residents

A derelict Lanarkshire care home that has been targeted by firebugs for years has finally been demolished.

Bulldozers demolished the fire-ravaged Acorn Park Care Home in East Kilbride just seven weeks after it was set on fire by youths.

The building was set ablaze shortly after 5am on March 19, gutting the decaying building on Glen Road and causing fire and smoke damage to nearby homes and vehicles.

Local residents in a nearby housing estate called for the building to be demolished, fearing that local kids would end up being injured on the site, Lanarkshire Live reports.

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The building has lain empty for six years with residents also condemning the spate of fires and vandalism, which they say went unanswered by authorities.

One resident said neighbours had been reporting fires at the vandal-hit site for years and insisted the blaze was a "nightmare waiting to happen".

Looking on as the building was finally torn down yesterday, he told Lanarkshire Live he was "delighted to see the back of it at last".

Local councillor Monique McAdams has been supporting local residents. She said: "After the fire at the former nursing home residents continued to be bothered by the anti-social behaviour from the youths who were still gathering in and around the condemned building leading to more of a drain on our emergency services."

"Meanwhile the South Lanarkshire Building Standards team were in constant communication with the owner of the dilapidated and fire-damaged building to ensure it was made safe, whilst the timescales of the process to demolish it were agreed. It was confirmed to me that the works required to demolish the remaining structures and clear the site were instructed and started as early as Wednesday."

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"This is phenomenal news and will be warmly welcomed by everyone that was affected by the fire as well as the aftermath damage to vehicles, homes, and woodland. I want to thank the police, fire brigade and council officers who have all worked very hard and in partnership to ensure that any potential risk to public safety was negated throughout this whole process, well done all."

Acorn Park which cared for people with physical disabilities and dementia was shut down in 2019 after a care watchdog applied for a closure order to protect the safety of residents.

Following the fire in March, images of patient's private records scattered around the facility - which in 2019 was branded "dangerous and incompetent" by a damning Care Inspectorate report - revealed vulnerable residents lived in "pain and distress".

Care home providers Bute House Limited, who are now dissolved, were served with an interim suspension order following a closure order application by the Care Inspectorate.

A council spokesman said: "The owners of the building were contacted by the council's Building Standards service following the fire incident and confirmed they were referring the matter to their insurance company and that they would secure the site with fencing."

"Demolition work started on Wednesday, May 1. We are not aware of any plans for redevelopment."

Former owner of Bute House Limited Vijay Kumar declined to comment stating that the matter had been taken over by his insurance company.