WEST Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett this week urged councils, organisations, companies and individuals to apply for precious Euro-funding ? before it is too late.
Mr Burnett said millions of pounds could be made available for projects in West Devon as the area qualified for Europe?s Objective 2 status ? but only for a limited time.
Mr Burnett said: ?We all fought very hard for Objective 2 funding for this constituency. It could mean considerable amounts of money for infrastructure projects, agricultural diversification and projects involved in education and training.
?The programme is likely to come to an end in 2006/07 and when that happens, if a project hasn?t been approved, the opportunity has been lost. Under Objective 5b, there was a tail-off period ? but that?s not going to happen here.?
Mr Burnett said he will be visiting Brussels shortly, to see if more flexibility for Objective 2 funding could be achieved.
?I will be making representations to the European parliament, but it does concern me greatly that we could lose this golden opportunity for funding ? I?m really making a wake-up call to bring projects forward as quickly as possible for consideration. We really can?t let this chance slip through our fingers.?
David Incoll, chief executive of West Devon Borough Council, said Mr Burnett?s warning was ?timely?, although at present, he did not think there was a problem in putting forward schemes for funding.
Mr Incoll said: ?Obviously, the maximum benefit we can get from this money, the better ? nobody wants to see money being handed back.?
Mr Incoll said part of the problem in putting projects forward for funding was because West Devon was such a rural area.
?It certainly takes longer. Projects have to be handled very carefully, things have to be worked out properly because you don?t want to rush in and waste money. But we have had quite a lot of success with some good projects and lots of businesses have been helped,? he said.
Mr Incoll said one big success story was the Museum of Dartmoor Life in Okehampton, which is undergoing a major redevelopment thanks to Objective 2.
Another was WestDEN?s Getting There project, which provides scooters to enable youngsters in rural areas to get to work.
Other ongoing schemes included development ideas at North Tawton and a feasibility study into creating a Drake Trail.
Mr Incoll said the council was actively working with a number of organisations on schemes and encouraged any groups, businesses or individuals which felt they had worthwhile projects to contact Tim Beavon on 01822 813600.