Derelict fort dubbed a death trap as vandals warned to stay away
Pressure for stricter security
AN HISTORIC fort has become a potential death trap for vandals and trespassers, a council leader has warned.
Fort Gilkicker in Gosport has seen a series of break-ins since redevelopment into a luxury apartment complex met a stumbling block and it went up for sale in 2018.
Since then, break-ins, fires and other incidents have kept emergency services needlessly engaged.
Now, the borough council and Historic England are pressuring the owners to make the area secure, with the potential for 24-hour security on-site.
The leader of Gosport Borough Council, Councillor Mark Hook, says there is a real danger of people losing their life at the fort if breakins continue.
He said: ‘Sadly, the fort gets broken into all the time, it’s becoming a major problem.
‘Somebody could get killed if the daredevil activities inside keep happening.
‘The trespassing could lead to a fatality if something doesn’t happen soon.’
The fort is privately owned – though it is up for sale – which means the council’s power is reduced as it isn’t public land.
The fort was due to be transformed into 26 luxury apartments before the developer pulled out of the project.
Cllr Mark Hook
Now, the site is up for sale with a guide price of between £5m and £5.5m.
According to agents, the redevelopment project could push the total cost to around £18m.
In March last year, a major fire broke out at Gilkicker, which led to an arson probe by emergency services.
Since then, Gosport firefighters have found themselves frequenting the area due to smaller incidents taking place.
Cllr Hook says the council has held meetings with the owners of Fort Gilkicker, with the intention of bringing an end to these incidents.
In the meantime, he is calling for people, particularly children and teenagers, to steer clear of the fort.
‘At the moment, that fort is fraught with danger,’ he warned.
‘Youngsters have injured themselves in there before and there is only so much we can do to protect people.
‘Please do not go in there.’
Somebody could get killed if the daredevil activities inside keep happening.