PONTYPOOL'S "eyesore" Clarence Hotel could be bought by Torfaen council, after a breakdown in talks with its owner.

The authority is considering making a compulsory purchase order on the hotel as part of the regeneration of the town.

Brian Stephens, who owns the building, wanted to buy an adjoining plot of land - valued for the council at £40,000 - for just £2,000 to create a car park, in exchange for carrying out renovations to the front of the hotel.

But council bosses said £2,000 was too low and demanded a guarantee that the renovations would extend to the rest of the building.

Executive member for development, Councillor John Marshall, said they had run out of patience with Mr Stephens after he rejected a series of incentives to help him renovate the Clarence.

Councillor Marshall said: "Local people are rightly appalled by the length of time the Clarence Hotel has been an eyesore rather than an asset to our town. Frankly, there must come a time when our patience runs out."

Torfaen's director of development, Andy Fretter, said they were now considering offering to buy the building from him - either voluntarily or, as a last resort, through a compulsory purchase order.

The matter was discussed by the development committee yesterday. Mr Fretter said they had offered to:

Give Mr Stephens £10,000 to renovate the building's exterior.

Sell land at the rear of the building to be used as a hotel car park for less than the market price.

They had paid for a business plan to re-open it as a hotel - a plan which would have attracted WDA financial aid.

He said Mr Stephens, who declined to comment, had not co-operated with the council on any of those offers of help, but added their first choice was to resolve the matter with him. "He says he wants to refurbish the building. We are offering him everything that is reasonable for a council to offer," said Mr Fretter.

"It needn't be as a hotel - it could be developed as flats or offices." Mr Stephens, who also owns Digby's nightclub, bought the building in 1993.

Councillor Marshall added: "We hope that the owner will co-operate and bring this building back into use quickly. However, we must realise that this venture is of huge importance to the prosperity of this town and community and that the council must find a way forward with or without his co-operation."