Wapping Road First School was closed in 2000 and sold to a development company in 2006.

Sphinx Commercial Ltd, a Bradford-based demolition and refurbishment company, bought the building in 2006 with plans to transform it into around 20 apartments and houses.

The school was famous for its association with American-born education pioneer Margaret McMillan who worked tirelessly for the cause of impoverished children. She was behind the construction at the school in 1898 of the first school swimming pool in England.

The pool has been vandalised and main building gutted by arsonists.

A spokeswoman for Sphinx said: "We are finalising planning with the council. We applied for outline planning permission four years ago and we would have loved to have had it two years ago when the housing market was better.

"We have just been sat here waiting – it is definitely the council's fault."

A Bradford Council spokeswoman said: "Sphinx was granted listed building consent for partial demolition and conversion into flats of the former Wapping School two months ago. We have also granted planning permission subject to the signing of a 106 agreement which takes into account affordable housing, public open space and access. We are waiting for them to complete this legal agreement."

She blamed Sphinx for delays because information had not been provided and said the company was responsible for security at the site

She said: "In October 2004 the buyers signed an agreement with the council whereby they became responsible for all security matters relating to the site.

"Before that the council had the school boarded up, had daily security patrols, welded the access gates closed and blocked the access road with boulders."