Andrew Burns, Edinburgh City Council leader has lodged an emergency motion to ask for the return of Parliament House from the Scottish Government after council officers failed to declare the building as a common good asset in a public building inventory check a decade ago.

The move comes as land law expert Andy Wightman published information indicating the council was told the building beside St Giles Cathedral was to be held for the public good.

However, the building was mistaken for the Royal High School on Calton Hill in documentation.

The building, also known as Parliament Hall, was built in 1639 to the specifications of James Murray, architect of King James VI and Charles I.

It was to permanently house the Scottish Parliament but following the Acts of Union in 1707 it became a meeting place for lawyers from nearby courts.

Mr Burns’ motion is to be put before a council committee on Thursday.

He will say that the council “checked its asset register at that time, and this did not disclose the council as being the owner of this land”.

The council leader said officers only became aware of the error in November 2013 and, to avoid “costly litigation”, he wants the issue to be dealt with “voluntarily in discussions” with the government.

If the council committee approves the motion, the council will write to the government “seeking a voluntary resolution to restore ownership of this common good asset to the council”.

Edinburgh’s Green Group has said the council should recognise “that a report to council officers in October 2006 clearly highlighted that the council had confused Royal High School and Parliament House and that the latter was likely to remain common good, in spite of which no action was taken”.