A PRIVATE landlord is willing to sell Inverclyde Council 250 flats in the Clune Park estate — in return for £2.5 million.

The Telegraph understands that an ‘informal offer’ has been made to the local authority in a bid to bring an end to the long-running saga over the future of the area.

The council wants to demolish the blocks having deemed them beyond repair but private landlords have blocked the bulldozers by successfully arguing in court that the buildings are structurally sound.

In January council leader Stephen McCabe said the local authority was ‘open’ to talks with property owners.

An approach has now been made by a major landlord offering to sell 250 Clune Park flats for £10,000 each.

It’s understood that details of the offer will be included in a private report which will be put to councillors at a meeting of the education and communities committee on March 7.

With around 440 apartments in the estate, any such deal could potentially mean the council having to fork out £4.4m to purchase all the properties.

Add in the cost of demolition and the total bill could soar to in excess of £5m.

The Tele revealed last year how the local authority has already spent almost £1m of public money on legal fees and other costs.

A council spokesman today declined to comment on the informal offer but reiterated the local authority’s determination to find a solution to the impasse.

He said: “The council is absolutely committed to see the regeneration of Clune Park delivered despite the frustrations and blockages.

“The council is now pursuing two major actions after the most recent remarks by Sheriff [Derek] Hamilton raising concerns about the state of properties.

“The first action is an examination of buildings to assess if there are any dangerous buildings in the estate.

“The second action is further surveys to properties on whether they meet the tolerable standard.

“In addition to this officers will bring forward to councillors any ‘formal legal offers’ from landlords on Clune Park properties.

“There are no formal legal offers and until that point any informal discussions would be considered legally privileged information.

“The council will continue to discuss with any interested party serious offers that will support the long term objective of regenerating Clune Park.”

Moves were launched to regenerate the area back in May 2011 with the local authority arguing that the tenement blocks had to be torn down.

But the council has suffered two defeats in court, with Sheriff Derek Hamilton declaring that the authority had based its demolition case on ‘flawed’, ‘inadequate’ and ‘tainted’ assumptions.