Deal may have missed out on a share of the £1.5m Portas cash to boost the town centre, but the team that worked hard on the bid is here to stay.
The Town Team, as it was called, has pledged it will continue doing good for Deal, working on non-capital essential projects that can revive the vibrancy the town is so loved for. They will also bid for large sums of money for bigger jobs.
Cllr Ian Killbery, a member of the Town Team, said: “The next step is to work out exactly what our priorities are going to be.
“There are certain sorts of funding we can go for but they all take time and effort to apply for – we appreciated just how much with the Portas bid.”
Here and now improvements the team can concentrate on include expanding the Saturday market at Union Road.
“We could be helping young people set up market stalls,” he said.
Other projects need big funding, like improving the promenade for walkers and cyclists, or introducing QR codes which tourists could access on their smart phones.
Last week the team received news that it was not successful in the last round of the Portas bid.
The Town Team can still apply for a share of £5.5m for individual projects, but Cllr Killbery believes the cash is for advice and seminars on how to make such projects happen.
See this week's East Kent Mercury for full story.