Closed meeting over football club grant

Seven years after the club received £80,000 to build new seating at its Park Hall ground to host European games, it has to date paid £10,000 back.

Earlier this year following an investigation by the unitary authority Shropshire Council decided that the Welsh Premier champions, should return the money.

On Thursday the council's audit committee met in private session to look at the way in which the grant was made.

Gareth Proffitt for the council said: "Shropshire Council’s internal auditors have carried out a review of the grant award to TNS in May 2012 as part of the Market Towns Revitalisation Programme.

"Their report was considered by Shropshire Council’s audit committee this afternoon, in private session. This is standard practice for such reports.”

When the £80,000 was awarded in 2011 the agreement was that the club could be asked to pay back the money under certain conditions in the form of agreed grants from January 2013, to the Oswestry Joint Economic Board, which would identify projects in the town.

However the board folded soon after the agreement was made.

Following the meeting on Thursday the council said that the auditors' report would remain confidential 'because individual persons can be identified, and to protect the integrity of any potential litigation'.

Oswestry Town Council, which was part of the joint economic board, asked Shropshire Council to look into the matter.

At a meeting of the town council in April town clerk, Mr David Preston, said that Shropshire Council had started taking steps to recoup the money.

Ian Williams from The New Saints, said the club had not been made aware of the meeting.

Previously he stressed that the football club had abided by the rules.

He said the Joint Economic Board agreed to award £10,000 to fund a Start Up Britain project which was delivered in the town.The New Saints FC Limited paid £10,000 to cover the costs of this project. No further projects were approved by the Oswestry Joint Economic Board.