THE WATCHET Boat Museum project has received strong public support following a public consultation.

The council have agreed to spend £30,000 from their reserves and will apply to the Public Works Load Board for another £30,000 which will go toward the £400,000 project.

The rest of the funding comes in the form of £243,200 from the EDF community mitigation fund, and £100,000 from two funding bodies which have yet to be announced.

The community group the Onion Collective who are leading the project which will see the former wooden boat museum transformed into a modern museum and community hub.

Of the 80 people who responded to the Watchet Town Council consultation, more than 94% were in favour of the council investing £50,000-£60,000 in the project and all those who responded agreed that the council should use a mixture of reserves and loan to fund it.

The council say the new facilities will reduce running costs in comparison to the current council chamber located in Swain Street, and they will also have disabled access which the current chamber does not.

Work is expected to begin before Christmas and it is hoped the project will be completed by spring 2016.

There were late objections at the full council meeting on Monday, November 9 from residents who claimed that not enough had been done to raise awareness of the public consultation.

Those who responded to the consultation were also keen to make sure the council takes public opinion into account when it comes to use of the current council chamber.

Watchet Town Council have been located in the current chamber in Swain Street since 1992, and 95% respondents said the council should consult the public regarding its future use.

Rachel Kelly of the Onion Collective said: "We were delighted at the results of Watchet Town Council's consultation and look forward to pressing ahead with the project."

The Onion Collective see the Boat Museum as the 'gateway' to Watchet, welcoming visitors and heralding the town's history of maritime heritage.

The plan to update the Boat Museum and to build a visitor centre as an extension has been designed Louise Crossman Architects, based in Withycombe.