‘Secret’ meeting will decide council’s next move in Forfar leisure centre demolition saga

The next step in the costly and long-running legal saga surrounding the future of a disused Angus leisure centre will be decided behind closed doors.

After losing a landmark case over their handling of the decision to demolish Forfar’s Lochside leisure centre, a full council meeting on Thursday will consider the authority’s response to the ruling of the Court of Session’s inner house.

Last month, Scotland most senior judge, Lord Carloway and colleague Lord Menzies found in favour of Forfar businessmen Mark Guild and Donald Stewart over their challenge against the decision to raze the centre, which closed since early 2017 when it was replaced with the £39 million town community campus.

Lord Menzies concluded the authority did not follow the rules of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 which requires councils to consult with the public about plans to dispose of common good properties.

It overturned an earlier ruling by fellow High Court judge Lady Carmichael which had said the 2019 handling of the decision to bulldoze the building, at an estimated cost of £500,000, was not unreasonable.

Court costs for the two sides have run into six figures and it is believed the Supreme Court is the last remaining option for the council to continue their fight.

Councillors will consider the matter in private under rules relating to counsel opinion on legal matters the authority is involved in.

Mr Guild said: “In effect this is a secret meeting to discuss a public building in which we are all interested.”