Highland Road homeowners concerned after fire at family home

They say that a series of tenants causing anti-social problems have been placed in the home in Highland Road, off Colman Road.

Folk living on the street are at the end of their tether after a fire broke out at the terraced house last week, forcing neighbours to evacuate their homes.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson following the blaze. 

Now those on the road are calling for Norwich City Council to introduce more stringent checks on any potential occupants to avoid further incidents happening in the future.

"EVERYONE THERE HAS CAUSED PROBLEMS"

Jak Greenwood moved into the house next door to where the fire happened, in September 2022, with his wife and two children and said all tenants have caused issues in the past.

The 31-yaer-old said: "Everyone who has been in that house has caused issues.

The fire broke out around lunchtime on October 17 (Image: Jak Greenwood)

"When we first moved in there were drug users next door and then another group who would fight outside in the street and on people's cars.

"There's been inappropriate language used around our children and it made us feel very unsafe.

"Basically everyone who has been in there has caused a problem - it's a halfway house from Hell.

"We moved away from London to get away from crime but it seems to have followed us.

Jak Greenwood, who lives next to where the fire happened, said basically everyone who has been in there has caused a problem (Image: Jak Greenwood)

"The whole street would like more vetting done from the council, for the people who move into the house, as we just keep waiting for more incidents to happen."

"A RISK TO THEMSELVES AND EVERYONE ELSE"

Jackie Hollings, who lives a couple of doors down from the house, added: "I wouldn't ever want someone to be homeless, but it doesn't feel safe here after what's happened.

"There have been reports to police about public disturbance earlier this year from those living in the house.

"People living there have also been either a risk to themselves and everyone else - I'm just not sure what the solution is.

People living near the fire were asked to evacuate their homes (Image: Jak Greenwood)

"It's such a worry about who might go there next we're thinking about trying to start a petition to avoid it happening again."

FAMILY HOME FIRE

Three crews from Norfolk Fire and Rescue tackled the blaze at a house in Highland Road, off of Colman Road, for roughly 40 minutes on October 17.

The road was closed and the property was sealed off while investigations took place.

A police spokeswoman said: "We were called by the fire service to assist with a building fire in Highland Road in Norwich at 11.45am.

"A man was taken to hospital but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Jackie Hollings said it's such a worry about who might go there next (Image: Newsquest)

"The man, in his 30s, was arrested on suspicion of arson.

"He was taken to Wymondham Police Investigation Centre for questioning, before being released under investigation."

CITY COUNCIL INVESTIGATING INCIDENT

Norwich City Council said it was looking into the circumstances around the fire and that "the safety of our tenants is paramount".

A council spokesman confirmed that it had homed a family of five in the front section of the property. The family have been relocated following the fire.

But the spokesman said the authority didn’t know if it had housed the man living at the back of the property and added they "need to investigate" this further.

Police were called by the fire service to assist with a building fire in Highland Road (Image: Jak Greenwood)