Trust iscleared of‘mislead’allegation

A LOCAL organisation which boasts thousands of supporters worldwide has heard the verdict of charity watchdogs, following a controversial wrangle over its choice of name.

Last month we told how Cumbernauld House Trust had been reported to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator by CHB Developments, the firm that wants to turn the 18th century hunting lodge into flats.

The company complained to the regulator after alleging the trust was trying to mislead the public into believing that it owned the house and had a connection with the developer as it bears a similar acronym - CHT - for its name.

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Trust members condemned the action as a ‘desperate move’ and complied with the request from the regulator to provide a submission in defence of the charge.

They argued that their formal constitution had pre-dated the formation of CHB Developments by four months - and that no confusion could arise with the developer’s name as it bears no allusion to the house itself.

Staff at OSCR have agreed that the trust did NOT attempt to mislead the public when it selected its name. But the trust has been advised that it must consider a change of name in the future, if it fails in its aim to secure the A-Listed building for public use.