Action has been demanded to restore a Fife country house destroyed by fire as a bid to build 28 houses in its grounds was extinguished.
Councillor Fiona Grant called for an urgent meeting to debate the future of 17th Century Leslie House, six years on from the devastating blaze.
The grade A-listed house on the south-east edge of Leslie is the largest and earliest Restoration house in Fife and was owned by Sir Robert Spencer-Nairn, of the linoleum-producing Nairn family, until he donated it to the Church of Scotland.
Last week councillors refused planning consent for the construction of the houses, for fear they would harm the amenity and setting of the historic property built for the Duke of Rothes.
Eight years ago construction of 12 houses in the grounds was given the green light but only to fund the restoration of Leslie House.
The building was being converted into luxury flats when the fire struck.
Mrs Grant said: “Fife Council, the owner of the house and Historic Scotland could and should all do much more to progress the renovation of this grade A listed building.
“I’m asking Fife to organise an urgent meeting with all involved so that a way forward can be discussed.”
Robin Presswood, the council’s head of economy, planning and employability services, said: “It would be wonderful to see Leslie House restored to its former glory and we would welcome any potential interest from developers.
“However, we are very limited in what we can do as Fife Council own neither the property nor the land in question.
“We would be happy to facilitate a meeting with the building’s owners and Historic Scotland to progress the way forward for this historical property.”
A Historic Scotland spokesman said: “We would welcome the opportunity to meet with Fife Council and the owner of Leslie House to discuss the future of this category A-listed structure.
“Other means of support to assist with the specialist repair and conservation of buildings which are of historical or architectural significance, such as Leslie House, could potentially be available through applications made to our grant funding assistance schemes.”
Owner Sundial Properties sold the land around Leslie House to Muir Homes before the fire.
As the central area planning committee rejected Muir Homes’ application last week, member Councillor Kay Morrison described the proposed development as “wrong, wrong, wrong” and warned it would destroy the local amenity.
She said: “The only reason we very reluctantly approved [the previous] application was because of the refurbishment of Leslie House – it was seen as an enabling application.”
Officers had recommended approval, stating that the denser housing scheme than that previously agreed would be a modest increase in built form and that funds secured for Leslie House had already been provided and lost.