“DOING nothing is not an option” for Bicester’s Garth House, a damning report has warned.

A backlog of almost £1.7m of work needs to be done, and the mansion, off Launton Road, is in a critical state, according to consultants C Harris.

A list of essential work at the property, which houses Bicester Town Council, has been identified, including a new roof, damp proofing, maintenance to ceilings, internal walls, floors and windows, external wall tiling, and the fire alarm.

Currently the top floor of the historic building is unusable because the roof is leaking. The report recommends selling the stable block, which includes offices, storage and toilets, for about £225,000 to pay for some the refurbishment work to the main building.

It has also effectively ruled out building a multi-purpose hall at the mansion house, which is also home to the outreach centre, Citizens’ Advice Bureau and the Bicester registrar, because it would not be cost effective.

Now, after a decade of controversial deliberations over what to do with the house, tonight will be decision time for town councillors. They will meet at the Eco-Demonstration House, in Launton Road, at 7.30pm.

Council leader James Porter said: “We have now come to the point where we have got to make some difficult but fundamental decisions.”

The report has come up with four options – basic refurbishment, and three more expensive alternatives including weather-proofing, or building a new hall capable of accommodating between 150 and 300 people.

Councillors were warned “the only realistic way forward” was basic refurbishment.