PUBLIC funding awarded for repairs to a community hall over a year ago has never been used, it has emerged.

The Glasgow Times has discovered that the funding amounting to £6,320 to Corkerhill Neighbourhood Hall remains in an account which has been frozen by the bank for administrative reasons.

It is understood that the bank account for the neighbourhood hall should have been set up as a charitable one. It was instead set up as a business account which resulted in the bank asking the committee to change it. This correspondence was ignored for several months and the bank took a decision to freeze the account.

This newspaper has also uncovered confusion over the money between members of the community committee set up to obtain a lease to run the hall.

The grant was obtain in the name of former committee chairwoman Karen Donaldson’s name – but she claims she knows nothing about it and never applied for the money. She has made the council aware of the issue and lodged a formal complaint.

The community facility, which was in the area for more than 30 years, has since closed and was given the funding by Cardonald Area Partnership last May to make substantial improvements to the ladies, gents and disabled toilets.

We previously reported in 2018 that residents had rallied round to save it. A new committee was formed but since then that group has dwindled in numbers with Miss Donaldson stepping down last May.

In minutes from committee meetings on March 13 and March 26, last year, it is noted on two occasions that Miss Donaldson was stepping down from the role.

She, however, later learned that the funding was applied in her name in an application dated April 24, 2019. It was subsequently passed by a council committee on May 7, 2019 – days after she officially quit the role.

Now Miss Donaldson wants to make sure the money is put to good use elsewhere in the community.

She said: “I am totally shocked because we have always done everything by the book and followed the constitution and guidance we were given by Glasgow City Council.

“This money is sitting in account that could have been put to good use somewhere else.”

She added: “I am disappointed that the council has taken so long to deal with this but I understand that the coronavirus pandemic takes priority at the moment. If this has happened to me, who else has it happened to?

“There should be better scrutiny regarding public funds and hopefully once this issue has been resolved, funds can be returned to the council to use as how they see fit.”

Glasgow City Council has now confirmed that they will make moves to get the money back.

The Glasgow Times, however, understands that the bank account already had a balance of £4,000 before the funding was released. That same account now has over £10,000 left.

Miss Donaldson said: “The safeguarding of public funds should be a priority.

“The hall has been closed for sometime and due to my involvement in the community council I learned that the hall now needs £150,000 worth of repairs to it.”

She added: “I think it is a shame that all this time and effort has been put into the hall and we are no further forward.”

A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: “The hall is currently closed and would require significant investment to bring it to a condition in which it could be used by the community. Given that the money clearly now cannot be used for its intended purpose, the council has asked for it to be returned.

“As the matter is subject to a complaint, it wouldn’t be appropriate to comment further at this time.”

The Glasgow Times understand that since the hall closed, a nearby community facility called Corkerhill Community Hub has opened.

It is understood that it is being run by Pollok FC to provide some community facilities.