The owner of a grade II listed building in Tooting will be served with a notice requiring him to carry out urgent repairs or face the prospect of legal action.

Gardener’s Lodge, in Tooting Bec Road, has fallen into disrepair and Wandsworth Council say the owner has, so far, ignored requests to halt its decline.

There is particular concern about its roof which is no longer waterproof. It has no front door and its window frames are decaying, internal plasterwork has been lost, its external stonework is in a poor state and wild vegetation is growing from its gutters and pipes.

Floorboards and roof timbers have been lost or broken, while the ceiling plasterwork and original fireplaces are also in a poor state.

The owner is expected to take urgent action to prevent the listed building from deteriorating further and to repair its architectural and historical features.

Planning committee chairwoman, Councillor Sarah McDermott, said: “Gardener’s Lodge is a really important local building and plays a really prominent role in the story of Tooting.

“The council is not willing to sit back and watch it decay and crumble. The owner must now complete these urgent repairs and prevent this important building from sustaining any further deterioration.

"If he does not comply with this notice then the council will take further tough legal action to protect and safeguard this important community asset.”