Residents are fighting to rescue a prominent Victorian building that is deteriorating.

Emmfield Villas, at 83-87 Emm Lane, Heaton, has fallen into a state of dereliction, prompting campaigners to describe it as a “blight” on their neighbourhood.

Now Heaton Township Association, a group set up in the 1970s to protect the area’s interests, has started a petition urging Bradford Council to take immediate positive action to resolve the situation. The petition states: “The property has become an eyesore and a disgrace to the area.”

The building, which lies within the Heaton Estates Conservation Area, is in the hands of a private owner.

During the 1970s, the building was converted from three houses into 12 flats. In 1997, the Council granted planning permission for a nursing home, but the scheme never came to fruition.

In 2008, a change of use application was approved to convert the building back to three dwellings. A condition attached to the approval was that the development would have to start within three years.

Margaret Gray, secretary of the association, said: “Local residents are fed up to the back teeth of the building and the issues which arise as a result.”

Councillor Mohammad Masood (Con, Heaton) said: “It’s a really big eyesore and has been for a long long time. The Council has got the compulsory purchase powers that we could use, but that would cost a lot of money and time.”

Coun Masood said he hoped the building’s owner, Liaqat Ali, would begin carrying out work in the near future.

Chris Brown, regeneration manager in the Council’s Housing Department, said: “As a result of recent discussions the owner is carrying out a structural survey of the building this week to inform plans to make improvements.”

The owner of the property refused to comment.

e-mail: will.kilner@telegraphandargus.co.uk