Island groups are waiting to find out if their bids for a share of £45,000 to revitalise Sheerness have been successful.

Five applications were sent to Swale council by individuals or groups with their ideas to improve the town in the hope of securing some financial backing.

One of the groups throwing its hat in the ring is the Sheerness Enhancement Association for Leisure (SEAL).

They have asked for £26,900 for a range of measures to improve the look of the town.

They include replacing the existing planters with hanging basket columns, imitation Victorian lamps and cast iron bollards around the Clock Tower, extra benches and display boards.

The Sheerness Town Team, which was originally set up to enter a regeneration scheme fronted by Mary ‘Queen of Shops’ Portas, has also come forward.

Chairman Pete Giffen said the group’s application ‘encapsulates a lot’.

One of the ideas is to hold an event where the community unites to smarten up the town, such as by cleaning and repainting shop fronts.

Another plan is to renovate the war memorial, in Bridge Street, Sheerness.

A total of £100,000 has been made available through Swale council’s High Street Innovation Fund.

Sheerness will get the lion’s share of £45,000, with Sittingbourne receiving £35,000 and Faversham £20,000.

Bids, which could be for all or part of the money, will be assessed against set criteria to secure proposals that improve town centre environments, increase footfall, encourage new business formation and job creation, promote creative use of vacant space and introduce sustainable activity to improve the vibrancy of each town.

Jill Read, the council’s regeneration officer for town centres, said: “I’m pleased with the response.”

She added that she was hopeful that whichever bids were chosen would make a “huge difference” to Sheerness.

An assessment panel will meet tomorrow (Tuesday) to consider the applications.

More information about when the winners will be announced and how much money has been allocated to each applicant will be known after this first meeting, although it is hoped they will be informed by the end of the month.