SIDMOUTH Gig Club’s chairman is staying positive despite being less successful than hoped in his appeal for help from the town council.

Nigel Winchester wrote to town clerk Trina Jarrett asking if the council would support members in a bid for Section 106 money to buy a wooden gig. A new boat costs around �20,000. While the club has already raised almost �10,000, it would be grateful of a cash injection from the district Section 106 pot. Councillors agreed at their meeting on Monday to pass the request on to the district council.

Mr Winchester also asked for permission to house a soon-to-arrive fibreglass gig at the former dinghy park at The Ham. Because of a covenant relating to the site, stating that the structure needed wouldn’t be possible, the council was unable to support the request. It suggested Mr Winchester pursue the other option he’d put forward, of a storage site near the recycling bins.

Mr Winchester said: “That site would be fine, because we want to house the boats as close as we can to the sea. While the first option would’ve been ideal, I will look into this one further. We’ve had offers, including one of space at Alexandria Industrial Estate, so may well pursue that in the short-term.”