Grant success for THIRD heritage carriage

Our application to Torridge & North Devon Leader 4 for a Grant for a third Heritage Carriage has been approved.

The grant amount of £96,600 provides 60% of the budget of £161,000.

The basis of our application was that the heritage carriages will help to improve passenger numbers in 2014.  The budgets submitted with the application show that with 50,000 passengers we would be able to allocate about another £100,000 to staff costs and employ more full-time staff. The ‘spin-off’ into the local economy would support another 13 jobs locally.

The application includes amounts for supplier visits, transport to Devon and is based upon a quotation of £130,000 plus VAT.

The next heritage coach will be Coach No.16, an all-third brake; the rebuild will incorporate surviving parts of the original. The underframe and bogies are being built by the Ffestiniog Railway. The bodywork is being constructed by EAST Restorations. This vehicle will be completed by autumn 2013. 60% of the cost of constructing the coach is being provided by Leader 4 with the remainder coming via the L&BR Trust.

After a successful Expression of Interest document the application documents comprised:

• Application Form
• Application Appendix
• Annex A Environmental Impact Statement
• Annex B Environment Policy
• Annex C Equal Opportunity Policy
• L&B CIC Budget 2012-2014
• Match Funding Letter
• Previous EU Funding
• Outline Specification of Works
• Roof Covering (further specification
• Tender Invitation
• Coach 17 picture
• Coach 16 Drawing 1
• Coach 16 Drawing 2
• Ffestiniog Railway Quote Page 1
• Ffestiniog Railway Quote Page 2
• Hunslet quote
• 2 follow-up questions e-mails
• Carriage Project Cash Flow

Another chunk of the Exmoor Enterprise overall budget accounted for !
 
Well done to Company Financial Controller Ian Cowling for his tenacity in following this grant application through.