T in the Park ordered to pay back £50,000 grant

Organisers were given funding from Holyrood prior to this year’s cancellation

T in the Park bosses have been ordered to pay back £50,000 of public cash.

A reminder has been sent to organisers DF Concerts to return part of the controversial £150,000 Scottish Government grant.

The money, agreed by Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop in 2015, was given to cover the festival’s first three years at Strathallan Castle.

However, because festival bosses cancelled this year’s show, they now have to pay back a third of the total amount.

A Government spokeswoman confirmed that, nearly two months since the 2017 event was cancelled, the sum had still to be repaid.

“We have advised DF Concerts of the repayment that is due and expect repayment to be completed shortly,” she said.

DF Concerts has declined to comment. An insider said the firm was in the process of arranging for the amount to be handed back and there was “no question” that it would be repaid in due course.

The payout sparked a “cronyism” row, although Ms Hyslop was later cleared of any wrongdoing by public spending body Audit Scotland.

The money was agreed to help T in the Park move to its new home at Strathallan.

In November, organisers pulled the plug on the 2017 event, saying they wanted to take a year out and spend time getting on top of issues which plagued the last two years.

In a statement, DF Concerts said constraints placed on them as a result of planning consent were “simply not workable”.

A spokesman said at the time: “We tried our best to work with the pressures placed upon the site by bringing in an additional team and fixing the first-year traffic issues, but ultimately we’re not in control of the overall site layout and the continued restrictions means that the negative impact on our fans and the limitations placed on their experience is too great.”

Scottish Greens culture spokesman Ross Greer said the £50,000 must be returned quickly.

“People will be wanting to know what the delay is with DF Concerts holding on to public money for so long,” he said.

“The circumstances around the initial relocation grant raised some eyebrows, so I’m sure the event organisers will want to do without the additional bad press and pay back the money immediately.”

People will be wanting to know what the delay is ... SCOTTISH GREENS MSP ROSS GREER

Revellers enjoying last year’s T in the Park at Strathallan, but there will be no festival this year.