The owners of a historic Dundee mill demolished last month could be fined or jailed if they are successfully prosecuted for razing the building.
Councillors on Dundee City Council’s planning committee agreed unanimously on Monday tonight to report Craigie Estates Ltd to the Procurator Fiscal for knocking down the B-listed Wallace Craigie Works – also known as Halley’s Mill – last month.
If the fiscal prosecutes the case successfully the owners could face a fine of up to £50,000 and two years in prison.
The company said the demolition was necessary on public safety grounds and has insisted it obtained a building warrant in April that gave it permission to level the building.
But Dundee City Council’s executive director of city development Mike Galloway told the planning committee further permissions were necessary before the site could be cleared.
Committee convener Will Dawson said the council had three options: to take no action against Craigie Estates, to issue an enforcement notice or report the company to the Procurator Fiscal for possible criminal prosecution.
The SNP councillor said: “In my view, the first two options are really non-starters.
“The only viable option is to report the matter to the Procurator Fiscal.”