Park bungalow to be demolished to save Barnsley Council £50,000 in repair costs

The three bed bungalow in Cudworth Park has stood empty since 2020, when the last caretaker vacated the home.

It has since fallen into a state of disrepair, due to flooding and a fallen tree, and asbestos has been found in the roof.

The bungalow has also been a target for anti-social behaviour and vandalism, and the repair bill could stack up to more than £50,000 – which the council says it cannot afford.

A report to be heard by the full council meeting on September 28 states that the council has ‘no annual budget’ to maintain the bungalow, but the authority is meeting a repair bill to make it safe ‘following entry by intruders’.

The section of the park which houses the bungalow was gifted to the then Urban District of Cudworth in 1928 by the Cudworth Miners Welfare Committee.

The Cudworth Urban District was abolished in 1974, becoming part of the new metropolitan borough of Barnsley, and BMBC now maintains the park.

Subject to approval from the Charity Commission, BMBC proposes to demolish the bungalow and incorporate the land back into the park at an estimated cost of around £17,400.

The report adds that the demolition will ‘allow the park to be safe and visually pleasing for use as a recreation ground for the inhabitants of Cudworth and will extend the area available to recreation’.

It states that the council must make its decision ‘as the corporate trustee, rather than in its capacity as a local authority,’ ‘in the best interests of the trust’.

The council has considered selling the bungalow, which has an estimated market value of £80,000 – but the option has not been recommended due to the ‘ongoig safety risk’ that the building poses.

“Given the location of the bungalow and access to it being through the park, not independent, consideration has been given to the negative impact this would have on park users. Vehicular access would bring private vehicles into the park.

“Demolition of the bungalow would preserve the recreational nature of the park in compliance with the objectives of the trust,” adds the report.