Back in February architects submitted a plan to knock down the Victorian landmark and replace it with seven apartments and an office block, claiming that the existing Brighton Road building was too 'inefficient and costly' to keep.

The Observer teamed up with local councillor Dan Kavanagh to save the ancient house, and in April developers seemed to scrap the plan after they were advised to bow down to public pressure.

Now almost five months on, the proposal to rip down the building and replace it with a towering office and apartment block is back on the cards – after bosses submitted a brand new planning application on Monday.

Shocked Cllr Kavanagh said: "I am really, really disappointed. I really thought that we had a good chance of saving the building.
"Having looked at the plans they haven't changed anything. The building is still just as modern. The planning application is just the same as before.

"I am really disappointed, I thought we had a breakthrough but the planning application says the building isn't efficient – and so I think we're fighting a lost cause.

"I am very, very disappointed but there is a little bit of hope.

"The decision date is not until October, and so I think all we can do is get as many people who want to save the building to come forward as possible. That's the only way we can save it now.

"The plans are by the book and meet the council requirements and so there is nothing we can do.

"It's really disappointing, I really thought we had saved it."

The developers were unavailable for comment.

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