Could this be it? A solution, at last, to the problem of the Egyptian Halls in Glasgow? The property agents Ryden, on the orders of the city council, have produced a brochure advertising the building as a development opportunity and asking any interested parties to come forward with a business case for renovating it; there’s also a closing date set for October. So maybe this really is it. Although we have been here before haven’t we?

The small print of Ryden’s brochure is a reminder of the difficulties: viewings will not be possible, it says, because the building is not currently in council ownership. What the council is effectively doing then is working around the current owners and determining whether there are interested parties and if their schemes may be feasible before possibly going through with a compulsory purchase order. The council says it’s a complex process and there’s no timeline for when it might be concluded. Uh-oh. I can feel my confidence starting to fade already.

The actual owner, Derek Souter, got in touch with me the other day to put his side of the story. For 27 years, he says, his companies, USP and USI, have liaised with countless council officers and heritage officials to try to find a future for the building. He also says he remains committed to engaging constructively with the council to ensure the Halls are preserved and returned to long-term commercial sustainability – at minimal cost to the public purse, he insists, while ensuring a fair return for him and his companies. As for the council, it says the owners don’t appear to be developing any viable scheme.

Amidst all the details Mr Souter sent to me, it's hard to tell what the current position actually is, but I did ask him at one point if he’d show me round the place and he did and it was fascinating. You’ll know already that the........

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