URGENT action is to be taken to stop one of Bradford on Avon's historic buildings from falling apart.

Conservation experts are so worried about the state of Kingston House that they are stepping in.

The Grade II listed house is owned by Bryant Homes as part of the Kingston Mills re-development site.

Conservation officers at West Wiltshire District Council say it is slowly falling apart.

Appeals to the developer to put up protective scaffolding and cover the roof have been unsuccessful.

Now councillors are being asked to authorise planning officers to do the work and send the bill to Bryant Homes.

Ian Gallin, the council's head of strategy, said the poor state of the building was discovered during a routine site inspection last June.

Since then numerous attempts have been made to get the house protected.

He said: "At that time the condition of the roof was noted as being poor, as it was clearly leaking.

"An area of dry rot had broken out on the ground floor and other areas of rot due to lack of ventilation and damp were apparent.

"There has been little attempt by the present owners of Kingston House to undertake either temporary measures to prevent the further deterioration of this building or permanent repairs to re-roof the property."

Temporary scaffolding has been put in to prevent the roof from collapsing.

He said Bryant Homes did get a quote for re-roofing the building but was told it would cost more than £77,000.

The threat to Kingston House, which is in the heart of the town's conservation area, has now been taken up by the national Save Britain's Heritage organisation.

Lobby group secretary Adam Wilkinson said: "SAVE has, on several occasions, voiced its concerns about the future of the sensitive Kingston Mills site. We are surprised by the condition into which Kingston House has been allowed to fall. Another year has passed and nothing has been done to halt the rot, or make the building weathertight."

The group is backing the district council's decision to undertake the work and charge it to the developer.

Dan Holland, senior surveyor for Bryant Homes South West, said the company was aware Kingston House was in a poor state.

In January he promised the council that quotes were being sought for scaffolding and work would start when they had been received. Six months on nothing has happened.

Councillors were meeting last night to agree that an urgent works notice should be issued.

Mr Gallin said: "Councils have powers to take action where a historic building has deteriorated and the most cost-effective method is to serve an urgent works notice on the owners.

"This gives the council the authority to carry out urgent and necessary works to a listed building."