Denbigh's North Wales Hospital compulsory purchase order
A compulsory purchase order (CPO) has been served on the owners of a derelict Victorian former hospital.
Denbighshire council says an estimated £1m of repairs are needed at the North Wales Hospital which closed in Denbigh in 1995.
Since then the buildings have been looted, vandalised and damaged by fire.
The authority voted to press ahead with a CPO last September on owner Freemont (Denbigh) Ltd and the action has now been taken.
It first had to satisfy the Welsh government that there is a reasonable likelihood of the listed building being restored, using funds from the sell-off of housing land.
The Grade II listed psychiatric hospital closed as part of a reorganisation of health services.
Since closing, the hospital's condition has deteriorated and last year it was revealed the bill to carry out emergency repairs at the former hospital had reached £930,000.
Freemont had planned to build up to 280 homes, businesses and community facilities on the site, with the redevelopment enabling the original listed buildings to be restored.
However, the planning consent expired in 2009.
A non-profit North Wales Building Preservation Trust has been established to take over the site.
The Trust will manage the restoration of the main buildings by progressing enabling development on the associated land, the profit from which will fund the restoration of the most important listed buildings and the demolition of a number of less important buildings.
Councillor David Smith, the council's cabinet lead member for public realm, said: "The time has now come to take that important step and we hope the owners comply with the order, so that we can work with our partners to protect this valuable historic building."