A historic Victorian house in Swadlincote which has been left to rot for over 20 years is finally on the verge of demolition to make way for 14 new bungalows.

The long-abandoned Eureka Lodge, off Newhall Road, will be bulldozed to make way for bungalows on the site after the controversial plans were approved more than a year ago.

Now, plans revealing the type of housing to be built plus details of landscaping and planting have been approved by South Derbyshire District Council.

The approval is the latest in a long line of proposals for the abandoned home built in the 1890s by industrialist John Wragg, who ran both pottery kilns and pipeworks in Swadlincote.

3D images show the planned layout for the Eureka Lodge site

In August, it was sold to North Yorkshire-based property developer Amco Developments who submitted the latest plans.

The once grand residence, which boasted 11 bedrooms, five chimneys and an 18ft by 10ft stained-glass window and stables, has been reduced to a sad state, a structural report has revealed.

A report previously commissioned on the house stated there had been "significant water ingress to the first floor and ground floor ceilings, weakening the timber roof structure, vandalism and pigeon nesting are evident."

The report said many rooms had been stripped while dry rot within timbers was evident. Cracks and mould had been noted on ceilings and walls, the roof tiling and flashing had been removed and the roof had partially collapsed at the back of the premises.

Eureka Lodge has been crumbling for years

Guttering was blocked and had been removed in places causing damage to external walls. Replacement of much of the internal structure to the first floor and roof construction would be necessary and external brickwork would require remedial attention.

The house was in the news again recently after police were called in numerous times following reports of children trespassing into the building.

The home was added to South Derbyshire District Council's list of buildings of historic and architectural interest but did not achieve listed status.

Despite its important part in Swadlincote's history, a statement from Heritage England concluded the building did not have significant architectural merit and was beyond economic repair.

The district council has previously said of the property: "The significance of the building is acknowledged to be of local importance, however, it could be argued its significance has been greatly diminished by the introduction of a succession of modern residential developments within its setting.

"It is an isolated site with no main road frontage and has been derelict and subject to constant vandalism for years.

New images show the housing types and a layout of the site

"The opportunity to designate it as a heritage asset has passed, being considered not worthy of listing in 2002. Its state of repair has precluded any viable use for a long period of time.

"On balance, therefore, the harm attributed to its loss is considered to be outweighed by the economic and social benefits of a provision of 14 homes in a highly sustainable location."

The latest application is one of a long list of plans submitted since the home closed for good in 1996. It has only had three residents, retaining many of its original features, and had been used as a children's nursery.

In 1999, a plan was submitted to turn it into a care home for the elderly and a day nursery. In 2003 plans were granted to build five homes on the site, although the main house was not included in the application.

The next application in 2004 included plans to convert the house into six flats with an extension to two flats and an apartment block of three flats. Then in 2015 an application to convert the lodge into five homes and build 15 new homes was withdrawn.

In 2004, a petition with 1,000 signatures urged property developers not to bulldoze the house.

The developers will now have to pay £34,197.03 to Derbyshire County Council to enable Belmont Primary School to set up two classrooms, as well as £2,600 for The National Forest Company as part of the deal allowing planning permission to be granted.

The plans prompted four objections from people asking why the lodge needed to be demolished if it had had a new roof and had been boarded up, while another objector said: "It would be a great shame to lose fabulous architecture which has historic value to the town to build new properties with no personality or character."

Eureka Lodge as a nursery

Burton Mail reporter Helen Kreft has fond memories of Eureka Lodge having attended its nursery school in the late 1980s. She said: "I went there when I was very young but I can still remember its grand entrance leading straight into the main nursery room which was huge.

"Well, to a three-year-old it would have been huge. It was big enough to put a large climbing frame with slide straight in the middle of the room. It was a big open space and had lots of land around the site - perfect for picnics.

"It will be sad to see it go, not because it has held happy memories for me, but because of its incredible history in Swadlincote and I cannot believe it has never been listed."