Only one out of three applicants had any joy when Yeovil Town Council considered financial grants last week.

The policy, resources and finance committee first dealt with an application from East Somerset NHS Trust Art in Hospital Committee, which had asked for £5,000 to help fund a community garden.

The idea is to create an area that is peaceful and away from the clinical atmosphere of the hospital, but town councillors felt they were unable to help.

Ex-mayor Roger Baker said it is a worthy enough project but he found it hard to accept that the council should fund a national health trust.

Councillor John Vincent Chainey agreed and there were no raised hands when committee chairman Dave Gladding asked for contrary views.

* Another application came from DIARY, an organisation assisting disabled people and their families.

DIARY asked for a top-up grant of £220 after a £1,710 grant given last year had proved to be slightly insufficient to cover the cost of a computer.

Most councillors felt that a generous grant had already been given and voted 9-1 in favour of turning the application down, with Councillor Ruth Kendall being the only one in favour of giving the extra £220.

* The only successful applicant was Newtown Tenant & Resident Organisation (NTRO). Their aim of providing a bus service for people living in the Newtown part of Yeovil is set to succeed after a grant of £3,000 was agreed in principle.

Located east of St Michael's Road, Newtown and surrounding areas are not served by any bus company. Many elderly and infirm residents lack their own transport, so a bus service is much needed.

NTRO social secretary Philip Chandler explained in the application that £3,000 would help finance one return trip on each Tuesday every week for three years. Mr Chandler also said that there was scope to lay on another run on Tuesdays should there be sufficient demand.

The full return fare from the east of St Michael's Avenue to the town centre, for example, is calculated at £1,20 and (according to information provided with the application) half-price fare passes will be accepted.

"This service is a must if we are to uphold the freedom of movement and quality of life that these people are entitled to expect in a modern growing town such as Yeovil," he added.

Councillor Tony Lock, who is the council's representative on the Community Review of Transport, congratulated Mr Chandler for having put together such a clear and comprehensive application.

Councillor Lock successfully proposed that £3,000 should be pledged in principle in payments of £1,000 for one year at a time, with the enterprise being monitored before the next cheque is signed.

It was also revealed the association plans to set up an "instant win" lottery in order to raise further money for the project. A start date for the bus service is still to be announced.