The council is still trying to reach a settlement over the mill

Shrewsbury and Atcham Council wants the Ditherington flax mill, thought to be the world's first building with an iron frame, to be redeveloped.

In April it served a repairs notice of about �1.8m on the owner, Richard Capp.

He says he will go to court rather than lose the mill in this way and claims he is offering to sell the building at a fair price.

The borough council says it is still trying to reach a settlement to avoid lengthy legal proceedings.

Viable future

Its conservation officer, Ian Kilby, said: "In April we served a repairs notice on the owner.

"It automatically follows that when the owner does not comply, it sets into motion a process of a compulsory purchase order.

"In May he offered to sell it to the council but the figure he was asking for was not supported by an independent valuation."

The council says if Mr Capp agrees to the compulsory purchase order, a land tribunal would decide a figure for the sale.

Workers made flax for weavers for more than a century at the site.

Since it was vacated in 1987 a series of owners have tried to find a viable future for the site.