THERE must be a “concrete” timescale on plans to compulsory purchase the derelict Talisman pub, Springburn Community Council has said.

Local representatives have been pushing for action at the eyesore Balgrayhill Road site for decades.

City councillors will decide whether legal preparations for a compulsory purchase order (CPO) should begin when they meet on Thursday.

And while the community council is cautiously welcoming the move, members want a timeframe to be set.

A Glasgow City Council report states officers believe the property should be compulsory purchased if the owner fails to demolish the building in a “reasonable” timeframe or doesn’t agree to a voluntary sale.

A spokesman for the Springburn council said: “This is a good step in the right direction, that wouldn’t have been taking place if it wasn’t for the consistent voices in the local community demanding action.

“It has been a blight yet a symbol of the historic problems in Springburn: of dereliction, lack of investment, and something that was once of pride in the local area.

“Hopefully the CPO will speed up its demolition, however the lack of a timetable by giving the owner ‘a reasonable timeframe’ to demolish it himself feels like a red flag whereby he may use it prolong his ownership and look like he is acting on paper, when in practice he is not.”

Previous negotiations between the council and owner have failed; however, the owner was recently granted a demolition warrant.

Paul Sweeney, former MP for Glasgow North East, said he was concerned the building warrant “may be a cynical attempt to thwart” a compulsory purchase.

The community council spokesman added: “There must be a concrete timeframe for the council to enact a CPO if he does not act, and then for the building to be demolished.”

The Springburn Regeneration Forum, led by the community council, was formed in March last year. It has called for derelict buildings in the area, including the Talisman, to be redeveloped.

Other partners include the council, ng homes, Springburn Academy and Police Scotland.

An action plan, arising from the forum, identified that “the quality of public environment was poor, with a need to deal with problem/derelict buildings”, with the Talisman cited as a specific example.

Last Week the Glasgow times reported how the pub could be bought by the council as officers are set to begin work on a compulsory purchase after years of stalled talks.

Legal preparations for the purchase will start if council officers get the backing of city councillors this week.

It would be carried out if the owner of the dangerous eyesore property does not demolish the derelict building or agree to sell to the council.

The Balgrayhill Road site has been empty and derelict for many years as people demanded action.

It has been described by the council as a “visual and environmental blight” on the area, which poses “a potential danger to the community”.