PLANS to secure £1.6m of funding to 'revitalise Burnham-on-Sea have suffered a set back after a major funding bid was unsuccessful.

Earlier this year, Burnham and Highbridge Town Council submitted applications for £1million of funding from the Coastal Communities Fund and £600,000 from the Hinkley Community Impact Mitigation Fund (CIM) in a bid to 'breathe new life' into the town's Esplanade and town centre.

The funds were earmarked for improvements in the town centre, including an overhaul of the former job centre, and improvements on the town's Esplanade, including constructing a children's play area, creating seafront artwork, refurbishing and maintaining shelters along the Esplanade and creating a community hub in the Princess Theatre and Arts Centre.

But at a meeting on Monday (November 12) Tatiana Cant, town clerk at Burnham and Highbridge Town Council, announced that the £1million funding bid to the Coastal Communities Fund had not been successful.

She said she is 'disappointed' the bid was not approved but said the council is 'hopeful' and has 'several other irons in the fire.'

"We have been unsuccessful because of a high number of bids amounting to £246m across the UK for just £40m of available funding," Tatiana said.

"At least we have an excellent business plan to hand and this will help when we identify new grant sources.

"While this outcome is disappointing we should also take solace from the fact we have other irons in the fire.

"We have reason to be hopeful that the award from the CIM fund will be confirmed in full later this month.

"This will mean that the refurbishment of the Princess Theatre will definitely go ahead.

"We are also awaiting the outcome of the £50k application to the Coastal Revival Fund for the Princess seating and I am pretty hopeful that this will be successful.

"We also have had the £8,000 trim trail funding approved from RLT3 at Sedgemoor District Council."

The town clerk said members of the Burnham Evolution Project Team will meet later this month to discuss the next steps for the project after the remaining funding bids have been decided.