A Conservative councillor, and former cabinet member responsible for the issue, has called on the authority to put £1m aside to restore the Mechanics’ Institute.

And Councillor Dale Heenan is also urging the council to sue the private owner of the Grade II*-listed Victorian building, slowly crumbling behind hoardings, and transfer ownership to a holding company.

Cllr Heenan, who was in charge of the council’s efforts regarding the building, and other heritage assets as cabinet member for the town centre and heritage until July 2021 has lodged a motion to full council to be debated and voted on at the meeting next week.

It references an expected £1m to be received by the local authority from the sale of the Planks car park, which is on the market as a bundle with the Corn Exchange, or Locarno, in Old Town.

And Cllr Heenan says that money should be put into a fund to bring the Mechanics’ back into use.

His motion would “request the leader of the council direct council officers to take the necessary legal steps within 90 days to resolve the ownership problem”.

The motion suggests that two members each from the political groups be nominated to act as directors of the holding company and that Historic England and the Mechanic’s Institute Trust be invited to nominate representatives to take part as well.

Cllr Heenan said: “A lot of work has happened over the last four years to find a way forward and we are now so close to make it happen. A business case for a multi-use site showed that it can cover its annual costs, while the building survey which concluded earlier this summer shows that there is an estimated cost of £25 million to refurbish.

“Yet until the problem of ownership is addressed by the council there will be no progress."

Cllr Heenan says a compulsory purchase order is not necessary to take control of the building and the council could sue the owner for the money the council is owed after it carried out urgent repairs on the building over several years.

He said: “One benefit of transferring the Mechanics’ to a holding company is that the liability doesn't sit on the council balance sheet as a risk for taxpayers. Only when ownership is solved can work start on securing the necessary £25 million in grants needed or find a developer willing to take the lead. 

“This should be an issue that all councillors can support, there is little risk to the council and we need to know whether there is the will to now take action or not. I hope we do take action."