The sale of the former East Dorset council offices at Furzehill is being held up by a right of way claim across the site.
The former offices have been empty and boarded up for five years while Dorset Council, which took on the property from the former district council, sought a new use for the site.
Deputy council leader Cllr Richard Biggs has revealed that there is a prospective bidder for the site who intends to use it for housing – but the sale has been held up by the rights of way issue.
He said: “Formal approval will be required from Dorset Council Cabinet to proceed with the transaction.
“Before seeking Cabinet approval and before the transaction can proceed, council officers are working with the preferred bidder to resolve a public right of way claim across the site to the satisfaction of the applicant and the prospective purchaser.”
In response to a question from Cllr Mike Parkes about whether the money from the sale would be kept for use in East Dorset he said that, as with all property disposals, the funds would not be ringfenced for a specific geographical area.