GLASGOW businesses that have applied for a support grant are worried about the length of time it’s taking for the city council to process applications.

The local authority has received more than 17,000 applications to the Coronavirus Business Support Fund – two-and-a-half times that of the nearest local authority and equivalent to the total received by all other cities in Scotland combined.

If successful, grants are supposed to be awarded within 10 days, but some businesses claim they have been waiting for more than a month.

Lucy Fleming, owner of Busy Bees Catering, whose grant finally came through on Thursday after applying at the beginning of April, raised concerns about the lack of communication about her application.

She said: “There has been no information from the council – we are just told that hopefully our grants will arrive soon and that we’ve to be patient. 
“The whole thing has been poorly managed. There are a lot of small business owners out there who will feel alone in all this. It is not very reassuring mentally and when I did get through to the council I was chastised and asked to be patient.

“I understand that we are in unprecedented times, but you can’t keep saying that as an excuse. Glasgow is behind other local 
“This is about looking after your constituents. These are not faceless companies – we are real people.”

Councillor Thomas Kerr, leader of the Glasgow Conservatives, has challenged council leader Susan Aitken on the payment delays. 

He said: “It is a staggering failure of political leadership that has allowed Glasgow to fall so far behind every other local authority in Scotland. Delays to these grant payments aren’t just an administrative hiccup, they are endemic and threatening the very survival of many businesses in the city. 

“I have raised these issues numerous times with both the chief executive and leader of the council and will not rest until every business in Glasgow receives the funds that they are entitled to.”

So far more than 4000 businesses in the city have received support of around £48 million from the fund.

Ms Aitken said: “Amidst the unprecedented challenges to many thousands of vulnerable citizens and to our frontline services we have tripled the size of our business support team. 

“They have by far and away the biggest number of grant applications in Scotland and are literally working round the clock to get money into the accounts of businesses. They are 100% committed to the well-being of this city. 

“Cllr Kerr had all this explained to him by officers and contributed neither criticism nor any proposed solutions or alternative course of action. Instead, on International Workers’ Day, he takes to social media to deride the efforts of frontline staff in petty political attacks.

“Cllr Kerr might want to consider the impact of his behaviour on our colleagues and apologise to them for his shoddy attacks. 

In the meantime, I’ll say to them what he has failed to – thank you.”