Madam,

I was delighted to see a response from Cllr Elsie Dafis in last week’s Cambrian News supporting the idea of a jazz event in Lampeter in 2016.She mentions a “viable plan” is needed to apply for a package of grant funding.

I accept that this is important to avoid taxpayers’ money being wasted.

However, I maintain that access to the pot of over £120,000 (some three years’ worth of precept) to stage events in the town should be simplified. Providing detailed plans for events in many cases will discourage would-be organisers. Surely enthusiasm and a willingness to organise are 90 per cent of the necessary attributes to gain access to some funding? I would suggest applications under £3,000 should be approved quickly and with minimal need for business cases/plans etc, and based on the councillors’ gut feeling about whether it will be money well spent for the benefit of the town.I made a recent application (in my capacity as treasurer) for funding for Traws Link Cymru (the campaigning group for the reopening of the railway from Carmarthen to Aberystwyth via Lam-peter) to assist us with venue hire, translations costs, printing etc and, whilst we did receive a nominal £100 (our application was for £1,500) it only just covers the cost of organising and paying for one public meeting. We believe (and so do many thousands of others!) that reopening this railway line will be a major boost to the locality, for both locals and visitors. The town council seemed not to agree as it took several months to get the £100.I am sure Lampeter residents could suggest many ways of using some of those funds, for the benefit of the town.If the council is unable to distribute more of the precept maybe they should not call for one in 2016.Having £120,000 sitting “in the bank” helps no-one.

Yours etc,Nigel Bird,Tregaron.