WEST Somerset groups are being warned they must "go the extra mile" or face missing out on millions of pounds of funding.

It comes after scores of groups look likely to be turned down for a share of a £4 million cash pot designed to offset the impact of site preparation works at the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point.

West Somerset Council holds the purse strings for the Hinkley Point C Community Impact Mitigation (CIM) Fund, paid for by EDF Energy.

But while the authority's cabinet has the power to make final decisions on grant allocations, it is led by recommendations made by the Hinkley Point C Planning Obligations Board.

The board has eight members - two West Somerset Council members, two from Sedgemoor District Council, two representatives from Somerset County Council and two from EDF.

On Wednesday, West Somerset's cabinet was told the board had recommended approval for only two of the nine grant applications received during October.

The news was greeted with dismay by a number of councillors who accused the board of being too narrow minded and called for more flexibility in the allocation of funding.

Only bids for £9,600 from the Somerset Youth and Community Sailing Association to buy new dinghies for use at Durleigh Reservoir and £40,000 towards the cost of relocating animal enclosures at Tropiquaria Zoo which would be affected by Washford Cross roundabout works were supported by the board.

Applications to upgrade the bowling green surround at Williton Bowling Club, an arts project in and around Stogursey and a website for the Porlock Bay Shellfish Project were among those recommended for refusal.

Andrew Goodchild, West Somerset Council's new nuclear programme manager, said that in some of the applications, no mention had been made of how the projects linked to the Hinkley project or how local communities would benefit.

He said some groups had had face-to-face meetings with officers and specifically been told what to include in their grant applications, but had then ignored that advice.

Councillors were told many of the bids that had been recommended for refusal stood every chance of getting funding if they followed advice.

Money would only be given to schemes that could show benefits for the wider community and offset the impact of the site preparation works.

"People have the opportunity to come back if an application is turned down and we do provide feedback to them.

"People are going to have to go the extra mile to show they are linking back to the Hinkley project," Mr Goodchild said.

But he said he had sympathy with councillors who called for the board to take a second look at the application from Porlock Parish Council for £800 to set up a website to promote the Porlock Bay Shellfish Project.

Porlock member and economic development lead member Cllr Karen Mills said she could not understand how a scheme which was unique in West Somerset and which would boost the economy had failed to meet the grant fund criteria.

She was supported by fellow cabinet members including Cllr Chris Morgan who said he believed every town and village along the A39 corridor would be adversely affected by the Hinkley C project.

"There appears to still be confusion over what criteria is being used to allocate funding," he said.

And he asked people to spare a thought for people living in the Stogursey area who would bear the brunt of the Hinkley work: "They will be paying a very heavy price for this money for the next ten to 12 years."

Cabinet members initially suggested formally asking the board to reconsider the Porlock shellfish application, then decided a more softly-softly approach through its own board representatives and officers might prove more fruitful.

"We as a cabinet could theoretically overturn the board for anything under £25,000 while full council can for anything over £25,000 but at this stage I do not think it would be wise to do so.

"That could antagonise the other parties at this early stage.

"However, we do feel the board has not been sufficiently wide in its thinking and we will put that thought back," council leader Cllr Tim Taylor said.

Cabinet members were able to approve a grant for the Somerset Youth and Community sailing Association, while Tropiquaria's grant would be decided by the full council on November 19.

Councillors were told the zoo had applied for a total of £191,516 to relocate primates and play equipment and install double-glazing in the main building to offset the construction of a new roundabout at Washford Cross.

The board felt the zoo was in a unique situation and would be directly affected by work associated with Hinkley C and the creation of a new park and ride facilities at Washford.

Mr Goodchild said he had sympathy with Tropiquaria but the CIM Fund money had to be used to offset "unanticipated and the less tangible effects" of the Hinkley project.

Councillors said they were disappointed EDF and Somerset County Council as the highways authority had not agreed a compensation deal with the zoo before the works started.

"This really should have been dealt with as part of the roadworks but it's too late now," Cllr Anthony Trollope-Bellew said.

The CIM Fund includes £2 million specifically to be spent in West Somerset, £1 million for Bridgwater and £500,000 for Cannington.

Some £24,000 has been reserved specifically for projects that need small grants of up to £1,000 - and specialist help is available from Engage West Somerset to help smaller groups worried about filling out application forms and meeting the funding criteria.

A separate, additional £500,000 has also been allocated to Stogursey as the host parish for the site preparation works.

Broadly speaking, any community-based organisation which operates within Somerset can apply for funding - providing it can demonstrate Hinkley C will have an impact on the community where the money will be spent and the wider community will benefit from the proposed schemes.

Parish councils and local authority partnerships are also eligible to apply, while facilities which stand to benefit from cash must be open to the public and have a wide public and community benefit.

Bidders also need to have a constitution and a bank account and be able to show they have undertaken a community-wide consultation and have a viable business plan.

People living closest to the site or transport routes receive priority for funding.

However, individuals cannot apply for money and cash will not be given for feasibility studies, sponsorship or fundraising events.

Projects that mainly help people outside of the county will also not be eligible, retrospective bids will not be accepted and charities without an existing link to the area are excluded from bidding.

The schemes currently earmarked for refusal in the October round of funding applications were:

l £1,000 to build a Jubilee Clock Tower on Minehead seafront. The board felt there was no link to the site preparation works.

l £950 for the restoration of leaded casement windows to four Bartholomew Thomas Almshouses at Woolston. The board said it would only benefit a small number of residents who were not currently affected by the Hinkley works.

l £13,000 to upgrade the surround of the green at Williton Bowling Club. The board said little evidence had been given about how it would benefit the wider community or link to Hinkley and believed the application had been "premature".

l £31,180 from Theatre Melange to stage an arts project called ECHO - Portrait of Peninsula, which would include a film featuring local people in and around Stogursey over a six months period. The board said they felt the project could have delivered more and said no information had been given as to how local people would be involved and how it would link to the Hinkley work.

l £800 to set up a website about the Porlock Bay Shellfish Project for publicity and business purposes. The board felt there was not a clear link between the scheme and the Hinkley works - but did acknowledge the project would be "transformational for the area from an economic development perspective".

l £10,000 to replace windows and doors at Allerford and Selworthy Community Hall. The board said the application did not link to the Hinkley works and it was not clear how the new windows and doors would enhance the life of communities affected by the Hinkley development.

l £20,000 for Durleigh Parish Council to carry out a feasibility study into the need for road improvements in the parish. The board said the CIM Fund criteria stated money would not be given for feasibility studies.

Anyone intending to make an application for CIM funding must make an expression of interest in the first instance to the district council.

More information about applying for grants is available online at http://www.westsomersetonline">www.westsomersetonline. gov.uk/CIM