A DERELICT pub is set to be given a new lease of life – with Leader readers invited to play their part.

The Hawarden Castle Hotel in Queensferry, which has been empty for more than a decade, has been bought by nearby Wilson’s Auctions.

The firm will turn the land into a car park for the auction centre but have no plans yet for the boarded-up building and are appealing to our readers to come up with ideas.

Managing director Ian Wilson said: “The pub is right beside the auction centre we have and our parking isn’t wonderful.

“Hopefully, we can give the customers much better parking closer to our premises and there will be room for overspill.

“I don’t know what to do with the hotel. I heard that royalty stayed over there many moons ago and I would like to find out more history about the place.

“It would be lovely to hear what people want to see there.

“I would love for somebody to come up with a clever idea on how it could be saved.

“Maybe we could use it to showcase local art.”

Workmen have moved in to the site to start repair work on the building.

Mr Wilson said: “We are just in the process of making it safe.”

Community leaders are excited at the benefits it could bring to the area.

Queenferry councillor David Wisinger said: “We wouldn’t want shops or anything to do with food because Queensferry is already saturated with that.

“I think it would make a nice office block because that area is quite commercial.

“I must give credit to Wilson’s for getting the cars off the road. If they can get the building back into use that’d be great.”

Do you have any information on the building's history? Email it, and any ideas for its future to lois.hough@nwn.co.uk or call 01352 707758.