AN EXCITING new mode of transport is on the cards for Ilfracombe, to solve the problem of moving ferry passengers and other visitors around the town.

A Land Train could be the answer to transport issues and a bid for funding from Leader 4 is due to be submitted next week.

The extended vehicle would run a circuit of the town taking in crucial stops to distribute passengers to the pier, seafront and High Street shops.

Ilfracombe Town Council is considering whether to take on responsibility for staffing and operating the vehicle, which is a popular "people mover" for tourist attractions around the world.

Severn Link ferry operators, as well as those for the Waverley and Balmoral have all expressed their interest in the project.

And North Devon Council has already pledged £50,000,which has still to be ratified.

The town council is looking at three potential Land Trains and will examine in detail the various budgeting options at an extraordinary general meeting on Tuesday.

Councillors will look at proposed figures to make the project work successfully, including charges for tickets and how many tickets would need to be sold daily.

The funding bid submission, is due to be in next Thursday.

Town councillor John Swan said it was difficult to judge how successful the plan would be, or how much revenue would be generated.

He said: "This is a purely speculative venture. Do we believe this is vital to the community? If so, then we have to take a bit of a leap in the dark, because no one is going to give us these answers."

Sally Nelson from the North Devon+ Joint Delivery Team has been working with the council and said that the business plan would be partially based on trials which successfully operated in Torquay and Gloucester during six weeks over the Christmas period.

"One which ran between Gloucester Quays and the shopping centre was very successful and very popular."

She said the little train, which can carry 50 to 60 passengers, would provide vital links between various areas in the town, and would provide a greater footfall for High Street traders.

And she said profits over and above costs, could be ploughed back into the community for other projects.

"As it would be operated by the council, they could be more flexible than a private operator, reacting to demand, so they may want to add, for example an additional train in the evenings to link restaurants with the hotels and guest houses in the Torrs area."

Other attractions such as Chambercombe Manor could also be considered.

She said: "It addresses all kinds of issues: the Quay is very congested so there are safety issues between pedestrians and vehicles, but this is lower down than a bus and lighter so judged to be safer."

She said the powerful little train would also be able to cope with Ilfracombe's infamous hills and can pull up a 21% gradient and has a tight, 14-metre turning circle.