The latest English Heritage report on the at-risk buildings of West Yorkshire has told Bradford nothing that was not already known about the state of Lister's Manningham Mill. The structure is in "very bad condition" and in "immediate risk of further rapid deterioration".

That much has already been made public more than once. It is no secret that urgent work needs to be done to make Manningham Mill watertight to slow down the speed of the decay of this most important Bradford landmark. However, having English Heritage say it one more time does no harm at all if it helps to keep the building high on the agenda.

Unfortunately there seems to be little that organisation can do directly to help. It estimates that more than £32 million of work needs to be done on buildings throughout Yorkshire, yet it has only £900,000 available in grants to pay for it. The best hope for Manningham Mill, in the short term at least, is that the Government money for which the partnership working on its future has applied is forthcoming and the rain can be kept out of it until its long-term destiny is worked out.

Although Manningham Mill is the biggest example locally of at-risk buildings, others in the district also need attention - places like Providence Place United Reformed Church in Cleckheaton, Upper Headley Hall in Thornton and Myddleton Lodge in Ilkley. It is to be hoped that their future can be secured, as that of Steeton Hall has now been. Bradford has lost many of its architectural treasures. It needs to hang on to the ones that remain.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.