A BID to launch a ferry service between Minehead and the South Wales coast has been knocked off course after failing to win vital support from civic leaders.

Minehead town councillors refused to back a proposal to seek funding for a feasibility study that would have looked at the viability of a service between the town and Barry.

At a special meeting on Wednesday, councillors voted six to three against the suggestion, which had previously won the backing of the authority's amenities and general purposes committee.

But Richard Lillis, who represents the Minehead Central ward on West Somerset Council, told the Free Press yesterday (Thursday) that the idea was not dead in the water yet.

He said he was extremely disappointed that the town council had rejected the proposal to make a bid for around £15,000 of funding from the Local Action for Rural Communities pot, particularly as it would not have cost the authority a penny.

"No funding was being sought from the town council for the study," said Cllr Richard Lillis.

"Councillors were simply being asked to make the bid to LARC.

"I think it's a huge shame because the town council has deprived the residents of Minehead a free opinion of whether they wanted the ferry or not."

Cllr Lillis said one of the key elements of the hoped-for study would have been to test local opinion with a sample survey involving at least 1,000 residents.

"What the town council has done is taken away the chance to find out exactly what people think of a ferry service, which has never been done before.

"All the study would have done is find out whether a service would work or not."

Cllr Lillis said he accepted that the scheme had been looked at previously but many people believed the time was right to review the situation.

"The difference with this scheme would have been that it would not have been so dependent on the tides, which would have increased its viability."

Cllr Lillis said he and others involved in the proposal would now contact LARC to see if there was any other way a funding bid could be made.

"I don't believe this is dead in the water and I very much hope that it isn't the end.

"All we want to do is find out if it can work."