TWO public meetings are to be held to discuss the future of Albion House, a Grade II listed building in Ramsgate.

The building was used until recently as council offices and still contains the mayor’s parlour and a meeting room on the ground floor. The rest of the building is now empty.

A council spokeswoman said: "The council does not have adequate funds to retain Albion House, as the building requires considerable maintenance and cannot be made to readily comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

"Therefore the council is considering its future use and whether any of the building should be kept for community use. "

Three different options are being considered: selling the entire building; keeping part of the ground floor for community use; keeping all of the ground floor for community use. The latter two options would retain the mayor’s parlour and the council chamber.

Two public meetings are being held on Wednesday, April 5, at 7pm and Monday, April 24, at 2pm. Each meeting will last no more than two hours and both will be held at the council chamber at Albion House.

Local groups are being invited to reserve one seat each at one of the meetings, with the remaining seats available on a first come, first served basis on the day of the meetings.

Cllr John Kirby, district council cabinet member for development services, said: "We want to hear local people’s views on the options that the council is putting forward and whether the community believes that part or all of the ground floor should be kept for their use."