Council chiefs have failed in a bid to secure a promise from Historic Scotland to bring the Perth City Hall saga to a swift end.
With a third remarketing process under way there are fears that plans for the listed building have become mired in a perpetual cycle of delays.
In a letter to bosses at heritage watchdog Historic Scotland, Perth and Kinross Council’s executive director of environment Jim Valentine voiced the council’s frustration in stark terms.
He said the process the latest element of which will not come to an end until January 2015 had become a “distraction” that was preventing the city from developing.
Borne out of years of frustration, Mr Valentine urged Historic Scotland which holds the key to permission to demolish the hall if a viable plan for its reuse cannot be found to “agree that the marketing process has reached a final conclusion should no viable proposals come forward”.
Applicants have until January 16 next year to provide the council with a convincing business case for the reuse of the hall on a 125-year lease.
Together with any newcomers, the Seventy Group which hopes to create a five-star hotel and the Perth City Market Trust which is championing an up-market food hall concept will also have to categorically prove they have the financial backing in place to deliver their plan.
The Government agency’s director of heritage management, Barbara Cummins, has, however, been unable to offer such a commitment.
In his letter to Historic Scotland, Mr Valentine said he was keen to avoid a repetition of the situation that developed following the last marketing of the hall.
The council had thought the matter was reaching a conclusion earlier this year after the sole proposal on the table that from the PCMT fell by the wayside.
Instead, The Seventy Group made a late bid for the Edwardian building and have gone on to secure planning permission though not any guarantee that they can have the hall.
“He said council members were “concerned that if the current interest cannot be developed into a viable business case, then another scheme may come in after the process has concluded and we may have to start the process all over again.
“The members need assurance that the planning process does not lock us into a perpetual cycle for any idea which might be dreamt up, regardless of its merits or deliverability.”
In reply, Ms Cummins said she “fully understood” why members would seek “a degree of certainty” regarding the handling of the complex case over the coming months.
“Please be reassured that we agree that a perpetual cycle of remarketing would not be desirable or reasonable,” she writes.
“That said, it is vital that the council demonstrate that every reasonable effort has been made to find a new use for Perth City Hall.
“While we, on occasion, grant permission for the demolition of a listed building it is important that it is adequately justified.
“The remarketing and negotiations around that will be a significant test.”
Ms Cummins also warned Mr Valentine and through him officials and elected members of the perils of not fully committing to the latest marketing process.
“If your council were to put unreasonable hurdles in the way of potential developers it would call into question whether this was in the spirit of ensuring reasonable efforts were being made to secure a future use for this listed building.”
She did however add that “having worked well” with the council in the past there was “no reason to anticipate this being the case”.