The would-be buyer of a proposed Angus “superpub” has yet to sign on the dotted line.
Hospitality giants JD Wetherspoon are poised to seal the deal for Angus Council’s buildings at 5-7 The Cross in Forfar.
It is understood councillors approved the sale of the building, which was the subject of a controversial “green paper” item forbidding public discussion, at a meeting of full council late last month.
However, the buyer, who proposed a £350,000 deal down from an initial offer of £400,000 has acknowledged that no contracts have been exchanged.
A spokesman for the firm said: “We can confirm that Wetherspoon is looking at sites in Forfar, but the company will not comment on specific premises until contracts have been exchanged.”
Angus Council has thrown up a cloak of secrecy over the deal, following The Courier’s receipt of a report that asked councillors to approve the reduced offer.
Chief executive Richard Stiff’s private report described the Wetherspoon offer of £350,000 as “reasonable for the building given its condition, but £50,000 lower than the first offer received from JDW in 2014”.
It stated no offers were received by the December 12 closing date from either Wetherspoon or P Christie Ltd, the firm of Parkgrove Crematorium owner Ken Parke, whose interest in the 150-year-old building sparked the council U-turn that saw the listed property put on the open market.
Mr Parke swiftly put an unconditional £450,000 offer on the table when news of the £400,000 Wetherspoon bid first emerged in September and said the authority then “changed the goalposts” with the decision to sell on the open market.
The businessman said his lawyer subsequently contacted council solicitors with an offer at the same level for the property but with a leaseback condition attached, which was rejected.