Why hasn't the council bought the building?

Stroud District Council cannot purchase a building unless the owners wish to sell.  The previous owners would not allow Stroud District Council access to the site to value it, to potentially make an offer for the building. There is a legal power known as a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) that Stroud District Council attempted to use to force the owners to sell the building (in 2008), but this was not successful. Efforts since that time have focused on encouraging owners to redevelop the site using the various planning consents that have been granted by Stroud District Council.