Soul of the Junction has been granted a 20-year lease for the hall and its adjacent car park through the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) process, allowing the charity to revitalise the facility with the running of social, educational and recreational activities.

The CAT process had previously been made possible due to South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Board’s announcement that – following a review of its business plan as a result of council funding having been cut by the Scottish Government – it could not sustain service delivery from the facility, leading to control of the premises being returned to the council.

In recognition of the potential impact upon communities, the council then invited local organisations to express interest in these properties through CAT, with support from the £1 million Community Fightback Fund and the Renewable Energy Fund to keep facilities open while this process took place.

Soul of the Junction plans to convert the disused village hall into a welcoming family hub, featuring a soft play area and a community eatery as well as a flexible space for local events, workshops and wellbeing activities.

Councillor Davie McLachlan, Chair of the council’s Housing and Technical Resources Committee, said: “It’s great news that such an invaluable facility will continue to be available for the local community to use.

“It will bring together local people of all ages and will be the beating heart of the Carstairs Junction community, and I wish Soul of the Junction every success with such a commendable venture.”