The former leisure centre was declared surplus to requirements by the council in May 2018 following the completion of the Forfar Community Campus and was subsequently approved for demolition in February 2019.

The building appeared to have had a reprieve after a judgment in the Inner House of the Court of Session deemed the building belonging to Forfar Common Good and found that the authority had been wrong to consider knocking down the facility without public consultation.

As no applications for a community asset transfer were made for the building and no groups came forward following the council’s attempt to lease the building, the council formally consulted on the proposed demolition of the building and restoration of the area to parkland.

Angus Council then considered the responses made in the consultation and noted that no sustainable offer nor community interest has come forward. Therefore, members agreed that it should be demolished, bearing in mind it will become the financial responsibility of the Forfar Common Good.

Council leader Cllr David Fairweather said: “This has been a long and drawn-out process and sadly having explored all possible options, the facts are that no one has come forward to make use of this building.

“The cost of rates and maintenance of this building is significant, as are the demolition costs so we cannot, in good conscience, leave Forfar Common Good burdened with this.”

The council will now proceed with seeking the consent of the court to go ahead with the demolition, as is required in this case.