Plans which would see Burnham-on-Sea transformed have been delayed after an application for a significant Government grant was turned down.

At a meeting of the Burnham and Highbridge Town Council on Monday, it was revealed its bid for more than £1million of funding from the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund was unsuccessful.

The cash would have been used to transform the town’s former job centre into a space for businesses to use as well as a place for children to play during wet weather as part of the council’s Burnham Evolution Project.

Town council clerk Tatiana Cant said: “We have been unsuccessful because of a high number of bids amounting to £246million across the UK for just £40million of available funding.

“It’s disappointing but not the end of the world. We have other irons in the fire to secure funding.”