A building firm that tried to force a charity to change its name had its request rejected by Scottish charity bosses.
CHB Developments, which owns an A-listed country house and plans to turn it into luxury flats, wanted the Cumbernauld House Trust to change its name.
The company claimed the name could confuse people into thinking the two organisations were linked.
CHB also claimed the trust’s name might lead the public to believe the charity owned the 18th century three storey building.
The firm, owned by businessman Hugh Boyd, complained last month to the Office Of The Scottish Charity Regulator, but its argument was rejected.
In a letter outlining the reasons, Kenny Mathers, the regulator’s case officer, said: “We do not feel the charity’s name would be likely to mislead the public as to the true nature of its purposes as set out in the Register.
“We did not feel the name implied ownership of connection with the legal owners of the property.”
CHB wants to build 10 homes at the site – four flats in the house, with the annexe buildings being converted into two homes and the courtyard cottages also being turned into two houses.
A further two new houses would be added in the courtyard.
North Lanarkshire Council’s planning department is due to decide on the application on January 26.
Cumbernauld House was built in 1731 and in the 1950s was gifted to the people of the town by the Burns family.
It became the headquarters for Cumbernauld Development Corporation and was then handed over to North Lanarkshire Council when it was created as part of reorganisation of Scotland’s councils in 1996.
It was put up for sale and changed hands a few times before it was bought by CHB Developments.
The Cumbernauld House Trust wants the building returned to public ownership and used as a community hub.
Trust spokesman Adam Smith said: “It’s reassuring the regulator has thrown out this complaint.
“In the meantime, we have been working with a local developer who is interested in buying the house on our behalf.
“We instructed a solicitor to approach CHB and ask for a meeting to discuss potential resale, as Mr Boyd has always stated he would listen to all reasonable offers.
“But we heard back from our solicitor today that Mr Boyd’s lawyers were at pains to stress he was not interested in talking to us, unless he got a ‘silly’ offer for the house.”
CHB Developments declined to comment.