A LARGE and prominent eyesore building adjacent to the county's popular John Muir Way coastal walking route could be demolished, after a recommendation was made that it had “no viable future”.

Winterfield Pagoda – better known as Winterfield Pavilion, in Winterfield Park, Dunbar – has been unused for at least 20 years. It was originally created in the 1920s as a Pierrot stage facility for summer entertainment.

Now, it could be torn down, with the town’s community council reluctantly backing the idea. Group chairman Stephen Bunyan said: “The community council takes the view we regret the necessity to take this course of action but we really could not see a way forward otherwise.”

A detailed condition survey was carried out of the pagoda in 2009, which identified that investment in excess of £400,000 would be needed to refurbish it and convert it for new use. An options paper produced last month looked at a number of options, including: do nothing; repair the fabric of the building while continuing to seek new uses for the facility; or demolish it.

The report, prepared by the local authority's Liz McLean, noted that doing nothing “is not an option”.

The document states: “Apart from safety issues, the disused building will continue to deteriorate.

“It is highly visible along the route of the John Muir Way and detracts from the amenity of the park and its surrounding area.”

A second option estimates £40,000 would need to be spent to put it into a safe condition. However, the council’s budget for maintenance and repair of buildings is prioritised for operational buildings, such as schools, care homes and community buildings.

The document adds: “Without a clear use for the pagoda, it is difficult to make a business case for expenditure in competition with other statutory requirements to maintain operational buildings compliant with Health and Safety legislation.”

The recommendation is instead to demolish the building, with the community council and Friends of Winterfield, whose aim is to preserve the amenity of the park as recreational space, to be consulted before a final decision.

The council’s corporate asset group has indicated its support for the options paper recommendation and will be asked to ratify this at its meeting on December 18.

Dunbar councillor Paul McLennan felt it was time to “bow to the inevitable” and bring the building down.

But he stressed there could be a review of sporting facilities in the town, while looking at the increased number of houses being built.

Councillor Michael Veitch, a ward colleague, stressed that the community had a role to play in what happened to the building and said: “I think it is always sad when a historic and iconic building like that falls into a state of severe disrepair.”

While fellow Dunbar councillor Norman Hampshire felt there was a need to listen to the public. He said: “At this stage, I need to listen to what the community has got to say about the building. I know there will be a lot of concern about the loss of the building.

“I have in the past supported its retention but some time has gone by and it has been exposed to the elements and it has deteriorated severely in the last few years. How long can we allow the building to be retained in that state without any definite proposal to do something with it?”

The council has received a number of expressions of interest over the years from people interested in establishing a business in the building. However, none of them, including cafes and a fashion school, were able to make “a viable business case” for the facility.