WATCHET Bowling Club’s plans for a £1 million sports complex on its Culvercliffe Road site has received a setback.

The town council was told on Monday that it could not foot the bill for half the £3,000 planning fees for the project because it would breach Government legislation.

But after unanimously supporting the project at their April meeting, councillors agreed to seek other ways of finding the money – and are now looking at the possibility of funding the planning fees through their Finance and general purposes committee.

Bowling club chairman Mike Webber told councillors at a previous meeting that he understood that, if the council submitted the plans for the ambitious complex – including a new double indoor bowling rink – on the club’s behalf, it could save 50 per cent in fees.

But at Monday’s meeting the clerk Sarah Reed told councillors that, as the application was not being made on the council’s behalf, it would have to have a direct interest in the project, be involved in funding, be a joint partner and provide the land.

“As none of this applies, then the planning authority has advised that it is not feasible for the town council to comply with the request from the Watchet bowling club,” she said.

She added that, if the council proceeded with the application, it was highly likely that it would be rejected.

A proposal by Cllr John Irven to look for other sources of money for the planning fees was carried by nine votes with two abstentions.