KENT County Council is considering taking legal action over the demise of its original plans for the Turner Centre.

The council, which has had to write off the £7million it spent on the abandoned arts gallery project in Margate, has taken the first steps towards what could prove a protracted legal tussle.

It has issued official letters to at least two of the companies involved, setting out its intention to take action through the courts.

Cllr Mike Hill (Con), KCC cabinet member for communities, said he was not prepared to go into detail about the council’s intentions and stressed that the decision to send letters did not mean legal action was a foregone conclusion.

“We are still discussing with our advisers about the possible prospect of legal action. No decision has been made at this point,” he stressed.

At the time it announced it was abandoning the first Turner arts centre, county council leader Paul Carter said he intended to pursue all options in a bid to recover some of the money it had spent.

Meanwhile, KCC has confirmed for the first time that it spent £7million on the original scheme. None of that money will be recovered and has been written off.