The building, located at 1 Stewarts Place, has fallen into a state of disrepair.
However, Green Party Councillor, John Barry, is calling for the law to be changed as under the current Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, councils have statutory powers to take action where an historic building has deteriorated to the extent that its preservation may be at risk.
He said: "Unfortunately the law appears to be very weak. As a Council, it would appear that the only remaining option open to us was to ensure that the building and the immediate area are safe, which we have done.
-- Advertisement --
"Unbelievably, there is no specific duty on owners to keep their historic buildings in a good state of repair but would think it would be in their interests to do so.
"We need a conservation-led approach in all this to push for the building's conservation, taking into account the expert advice of structural engineers to explore the full potential of conservation led approach – within the parameters of what is actually possible under health and safety.
"However, there is no legal basis to force the owner to rebuild and restore the building. In all likelihood, such is the dangerous state of the property, the entire building may be beyond restoration and may have to be demolished.
"I am angry that this historic building may be beyond repair, and frustrated as to the lack of legal protection for historic buildings such as this under current legislation. I plan to work with Green Party colleague Steven Agnew MLA to raise this issue with the minister in the Assembly."
(CD/JP)
