A STRIKING Victorian former orphanage and former college building could soon be flattened.

Joseph Nutter House is a former orphanage near Horton Park that has most recently been used as a college.

Bradford Council has received a planning application to demolish the building to make way for a new employment development - although details of what that development would entail have not yet been revealed.

If approved, work to bring down the building could start later this month.

Joseph Nutter, orphaned at an early age, ran a successful furniture business in Bradford, and when he died in 1884 he left £10,000 in his will for the founding of an orphanage for boys.

Bradford Corporation came up with the land at the top edge of Horton Park and the foundation stone was laid on May 30 1888. The home opened a year later.

Memories of Bradford's Joseph Nutter orphanage

In 1939, after it had been taken over by the Government, the building served a number of purposes as a tax office, driving test centre and as part of Bradford College. It has also been used by Askham Bryan College.

The building was sold in 2016, and it has been empty since.

Mr Nutter’s legacy lives on - Bradford based Joseph Nutter Foundation still provides support to young people who have lost one or both parents.

The application to demolish the building has been submitted to Bradford Council by Mohammed Farid, and describes the building as “derelict.” It says: “The demolition of these premises will open the site up for future development.

“Our client is currently developing plans for the redevelopment of the site in order to bring new jobs into the area.

“The client has concerns over the security of the site with the dilapidated and derelict building, presenting a health and safety hazard, has also become the target of numerous anti-social behaviour incidents, such as; vandalism, arson, trespassing, fly-tipping and theft, and as such they are seeking permission to demolish the existing building, leaving the site level and secure with boundary fencing maintained until the future development is ready to commence.”

Planning officers will decide if the building can be demolished in the coming weeks.