A MAN has started a petition in a bid to save an historic building in Bradford from being demolished and turned into houses.

Paul Ratnik has gathered more than 110 signatures in an effort to save Rosemount Villa in Manningham.

The building, which used to be the home of former Lord Mayor of Bradford and Bradford MP Sir William Priestley, is on Clifton Villas, off Manningham Lane.

It is currently owned by Manningham Housing Association (MHA) and has planning permission for 13 affordable rent houses. MHA has owned the site for about ten years and said it had explored at least six options for its future, including community use.

But Mr Ratnik, who is steward at the nearby Estonian Club, is determined to save the building from disappearing from Bradford's landscape forever.

He claims MHA has let the building - which, unlike other old villas on the street, is not listed - fall into a state of disrepair so that it can be demolished.

"It was a fine building in very good condition not so many years ago," said Mr Ratnik, who believes the building could be restored and maybe given to a nearby school. "In fact it was a fine building until Bradford Council sold it to Manningham Housing Association.

"Since MHA has owned Rosemount Villa, they have used it as a temporary headquarters. After this, MHA abandoned this fine building to the elements."

He said: "They are fully responsible for the condition of this building and should pay for its renovation and give it back to the citizens of Bradford."

Nigel Guy, managing director of Firebird Homes, a subsidiary of MHA, said the building did not have any national historic value and that at least six options for the future of the site were considered and priced up, including community facilities.

"The best use was to knock the building down and provide affordable homes," said Mr Guy. "Homes are what is needed in that particular location.

"We are using the land and investing £1.9million in the site. We are building homes and working with the local authority, and homes and community agencies, to develop affordable homes for Bradford."

Mr Guy added that the firm had tried to fix "a lot of defects" in the building when it used it as headquarters.

An English Heritage spokesman said they were asked to consider Rosemount for listing, but added: "It was decided that the building did not have enough special architectural or historical interest to merit listing in a national context, largely because it has been extensively altered inside and out, with an unsympathetic late-20th century extension on the south-east end.

"It is however of clear interest locally and makes a positive contribution to the Aspley Crescent Conservation Area.

"The Manningham Conservation Area, which Apsley Crescent is a part of, is At Risk but there has been encouraging progress in certain areas recently, so English Heritage is keen to continue working with the local council to keep finding ways of getting the area off the Heritage at Risk Register and ensuring it retains the characteristics that make this area so special."