INVERCLYDE Council's troubled decade-long bid to acquire and demolish Clune Park has 'hit a brick wall' and could end up being mired in several more years of delay, it's claimed.

Negotiations between the local authority and a major landlord at the eyesore housing scheme over a valuation for a batch of more than 30 flats are said to have broken down.

One insider told the Telegraph that the prospect of any deal for the council to buy the properties it needs in order to push through a stalled regeneration plan are now 'dead in the water'.

The source — who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity — said the district's recently newly elected councillors now have a 'seriously tough' decision to make on the matter.

He said: "The council can either up its offer or go down the route of compulsory purchase, which would be a long and drawn-out process.

"It is one which gives property owners the right of independent valuations, and it would also take into account all of the actions of the council.

"Negotiations with this particular landlord have hit a brick wall."

The council last year performed a major strategy u-turn after losing a succession of legal battles and it has since been trying to engage with landlords to find a solution.

However, another major Clune Park property owner — who is also yet to reach a deal to dispose of his portfolio — has demanded the reinstatement of 2014 valuations of up to £20,000 per flat.

Another source said: "The next stage appears to be compulsory purchase."

The council — whose intention is to bulldoze Clune Park — lost a landmark legal battle last year over its decision to charge landlords a 'long term empty' levy for unoccupied flats, because the law under which the charge was imposed is designed to bring empty properties back into use.

The local authority's policy was ruled to be 'unreasonable and unjust' and 'not in keeping with the legislative intention of parliament'.

It lost a major court case in 2016 over the issue of demolition orders, with a sheriff declaring that the move was based on 'flawed', 'inadequate' and 'tainted' assumptions.

One Clune Park landlord, businessman Simon Boparai, last year declared that he was prepared to prolong a 'war of attrition' by a further ten years if the council didn't 'start being reasonable'.

Mr Boparai said at the time: "Inverclyde Council, since 2014, has artificially destroyed the market and devalued properties through an unlawful policy."

Since announcing plans to regenerate Clune Park more than ten years ago, the council has seen the estimated cost of the proposed plan rise from £2.6m to £4.87m.

The current estimated cost for demolishing the estate stands at £1m.

Asked about the current state of his own negotiations with the council, Mr Boparai — who owns more than 60 flats — said: "It is inappropriate to comment at this stage but I remain hopeful of agreeing a deal."

A council spokesman said: "It would not be appropriate for the council to speculate or comment on any negotiations or claims about those.

"The outcome of any negotiations are regularly reported to the appropriate council committee and that will continue to be the case."