A DERELICT Victorian building in Bingley branded an eyesore is set to get a new lease of life.

The Station Master’s House, in Wellington Street, has been bought by Bingley Property Holdings (BPH) after standing empty since the 1990s.

BPH will refurbish the building, with work to be completed by the end of this year.

The company says it is taking inquiries from firms looking to rent it out once the refurbishment work is completed.

BPH say it will control which type of interest takes on the site, and is particularly looking for a professional service, cafe or restaurant.

David Heseltine, co-director of BPH, who is also a Bingley councillor, said: “The opportunity to bring this building back into local ownership could not be missed.

“For far too long it has been a blot on the landscape in Bingley.

“We have control over what it will become. It won’t be a betting shop or anything like that.”

His co-director Andrew Fenton added: “Already there has been interest shown in its future. The building would lend itself to a variety of uses from professional service, general offices to cafe, bar or restaurant.

“We are keen to hear from interested parties with their ideas and proposals, so we can work together to ensure a successful outcome for the Station Master’s House.”

The building’s previous owners, Whetley Mills Limited, of Thornton Road, Bradford, who paid £275,000 for the site in May 2006, put the building up for sale in June.

Ros Dawson, chairman of Bingley Town Council, which has campaigned for the building to be occupied, welcomed the sale.

She said: “I am delighted that the Station Master’s House has new owners and their intention is to develop the site into offices and possibly retail.

“I am also so pleased that the efforts of Bingley Town Council in focusing attention on this site, derelict for over a decade, has now led to, hopefully, a positive outcome.

“I look forward to this building becoming one that our town can be proud of with quality, inspired design appropriate for this key location in our conservation area.”

A previous planning application to demolish outhouses to enable extensions to provide a retail unit, hot food takeaway and five flats were refused by Bradford Council in 2008.

The site’s overgrown garden was cleared of litter in March this year after Bradford Council wrote to its owners to formally request the work.

Whetley Mills Limited said its maintenance team cleaned up the site twice a year.

Cllr Dawson said she hoped BPH would tidy up the garden, as it had become overgrown again.