The fate of the birthplace of the Brontes in Market Street, Thornton, will be decided in less than a week when the house is sold by auction.

There is still time for a benefactor with a full appreciation of the property's literary links to come along and save it for posterity. On the other hand, there is a real danger that it might be bought by someone who sees its merits only as a private residence.

There remains a third option though. Bradford Council could decide to step in and bid for it as part of the district's heritage. That is the hope of Mr John Jessop, of the Thornton Bronte Society, who has campaigned and lobbied hard for the building's historical importance to be preserved and envisages a time when Thornton is "another Haworth" with cafes, restaurants and tourist shops.

While Bradford councillors weigh up the pros and cons, they will of course need to bear in mind whether other Bradfordians beyond Thornton would approve of some of their council tax money going to support the dream of Mr Jessop and other people in the village at a time when the authority is making cuts.

The Brontes are very popular, not least with overseas tourists. Raising the profile of the house where they came into the world, particularly if it was done in conjunction with the Haworth Parsonage where they later lived and wrote, could bring large numbers of visitors to Thornton, attract investment to the village and make it a real Bradford asset. On balance, money spent on safeguarding the Bronte birthplace could turn out in the long run to have been well spent.