Dorset Hall in Kingston Road in South Wimbledon is the former home of Rose Lamartine Yates.
She was the leader of the Wimbledon branch of the Women’s Social and Political Union founded by suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst.
The Labour run council’s Lib Dem members want the property acquired through the Merton Legacy Fund.
They say it should be restored and put to use for “generations to come.”
It’s being offered for sale as a freehold block of 10 bedsits and will go to auction on December the 2nd.
A Merton Council spokesperson said: “The Council recognise that Dorset Hall is a valuable heritage asset in Merton. The Listed status confers extra protections for the building through the planning system. The Council does not currently intend to purchase the property.”
“The Council has powers of compulsory purchase, however in exercising these powers there are lots of legal tests that must be met one of which is that a compulsory purchase order should only be used as a last resort. Typically, the time from the making of a compulsory purchase order to the confirmation of the compulsory purchase order by the Secretary of State is around 18 months.”
