A BID to attract £100,000 of Government cash to Bishop’s Waltham has failed, but the town will try again.

Shopkeepers were hoping to make the market town a ‘Portas Pilot’, but it was overlooked when the first successful bidders were named last weekend.

The Government has made £100,000 available to 12 towns across Britain in a scheme led by retail guru Mary Portas.

More than 350 towns applied, and around a dozen more will be invited the join the scheme in September.

Failed bidders from the first round will not have to re-apply, but Tony Kippenberger from the Bishop’s Waltham Society said they might revamp their bid anyway.

“We only had two and a half weeks to put together our first bid because we heard about the scheme late on, so we might try to revise it,” he said.

Traders hope to attract the cash to counteract the new Sainsbury’s store that is due to open in the town next year.

Shopkeepers argue that it will damage their trade and were hoping to secure the grant to promote existing businesses.