Derelict Sheffield Ski Village site torched by arsonists yet again

The derelict site of Sheffield Ski Village, once a jewel in the crown of the city's leisure portfolio, was set on fire again by vandals ... again.

The Alpine-themed site opened in Parkwood Springs in 1988 but closed after a major blaze, thought to have been started deliberately, in 2012.

Figures revealed in 2016 showed there has been around 60 fires at the site in the last five years.

In the latest incident, two crews, one from Central and one from Rivelin stations, were called out around 9.30pm to the Parkwood Springs site to find a large pile of debris on fire at the bottom of the big slope.

A South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue spokesman based at Rivelin station said: "We arrived to find quite a lot of debris, rubbish, fly-tipping on fire along the bottom of the big slope. The material which people used to ski on was also alight.

"To be honest, we're called out here so much, I'm surprised there's anything left to burn."

The derelict site is now owned by Sheffield Council after a lengthy saga in acquiring it from the previous owner. At the end of last year council bosses asked investors and developers to put forward ideas for the site.

Proposals put forward so far include transforming it into a mountain bike trail and national snow centre. The council wants to attract a developer to transform the site into a nationally-significant attraction which will cement Sheffield’s reputation as 'The Outdoor City' - which aims to be the UK’s 'leading destination' for people seeking outdoor adventure, city culture and rural escapes.