AN application by Tavistock?s Sir Francis Drake Bowling Club for grant funding was given the thumbs down by councillors in the town last week. The club leases its club house in the Meadows from the town council for a peppercorn rent of £1 a year. The council pays an annual sum towards the club?s insurance, while the club itself is obligated to maintain the clubhouse. In the period 1994 to 2002, the council gave the club £18,000 in grants as part of the lease agreement. In a letter to the council, club captain Norman Paramor said the club recently paid £2,800 to have one end of its premises re-wired, plus £5,500 to have rotting windows and doors replaced. Mr Paramor said: ?Further inspection has identified that the town end of the premises is equally in need of both electrical re-wiring and replacement of rotting doors and windows. ?The roadside exterior of the whole premises is also in need of renovation and painting at a cost not yet known and the main clubhouse requires replacement double glazed windows, together with fascia boards and soffits, again at a cost not yet known.? The committee was told the next phase of work would cost about £9,000. Cllr Ted Sherrell said: ?The club is very much part of the town and it would be nice if we could help them, but like all local authorities we are scratching around for money.? Cllr Sherrell suggested a grant of £2,000 should be made from April next year. Cllr Anne Johnson, chairman of the council?s finance committee, suggested the bowls club consider applying to a grant body like Awards for All, who gave small grants to community groups, often with a very quick decision following application. There were also organisations in the area who specialised in helping groups with grant applications. Cllr Caroline Keane said: ?I understand that Awards for All grants are going up by January 1 to £10,000 maximum. I think it would be very little trouble on their part to get a business plan together and then ask us for match funding.? The council agreed the clerk should write to the club and suggest they investigate the possibilities of grant applications to carry out repair work.