An eyesore derelict building is set to be made secure by the local authority four months after the developer was jailed.

Tendring District Council (TDC) has ordered a quanitity of steel to cover the ground floor windows of Parkeston House, in Parkeston.

The council is also obtaining treated plywood to secure the top floor of the building.

It is hoped the £20,000 scheme, made possible after the council was granted a warrant to allow experts to survey the building, will prevent vandalism and fly-tipping at the site.

Parkeston House was being developed into a housing complex.

However worked stopped at the site in July when the developer Eze Kingley was sentenced to 30 months in prison at Chelmsford Crown Court for a number of health and safety breaches.

As well as helping the Health and Safety Executive with the prosecution by providing evidence about the state of the building, TDC has also been working with local residents to find a solution to the problem site.

At a meeting of Ramsey and Parkeston Parish Council on Thursday evening residents and councillors were told there was a six-week wait for the steel, but promised work would begin as soon as it arrived.

Nigel Brown, TDC spokesman, said: “The order has been placed and the contractors are ready to carry out the £20,000 scheme as soon as possible.

“There will be no need to get a further warrant to undertake the work as that is already covered by the one used when a surveyor and structural engineer inspected the building last month.”

Parish councillors said they looked forward to the boards going up and felt the situation had improved at the site over the past couple of months.

Carlo Guglielmi, councillor for planning at TDC added: “We are doing all that we can within the powers available to us and will continue to do so.

“We will also fulfil our promise to keep people informed about progress at each step of the way.”

A petition with 278 signatures from people concerned about the state Parkeston House is due to be presented to a full TDC meeting on Tuesday night.