HOPES of a ferry link between Minehead and the South Wales coast could move a step closer if a planned feasibility study wins civic support.

Minehead Town Council is holding a special meeting on Wednesday (June 6) to decide whether to make a bid for around £15,000 of funding from the Government's Local Action for Rural Communities initiative.

The proposal has already won the backing of the council's amenities and general purposes committee and if the bid is successful it could cover around half the cost of the study, which would test the viability of a link between Minehead and Barry.

A potential link between the two coasts has been looked several times in the past but has fallen by the wayside, largely because it has not proved financially viable.

The latest push has come from a town council-led working group, whose members include West Somerset councillor Richard Lillis.

Cllr Lillis said the proposed study would be more broad-based and in depth than previous investigations and hopefully provide a definitive answer on whether the project had a realistic chance of going ahead.

However, he has conceded that if it fails the viability test, it should be "buried and forgotten" once and for all.

Wednesday's meeting will be held in the town council chamber, starting at 7.30pm.