PLANS for a cybercafe in Beaconsfield are in jeopardy after the project was refused National Lottery funding.

The application for £112,000 was turned down because the organisers have an agreement with a company called Cyberia, which has agreed to run the cafe on their behalf for a fee.

This is against lottery guidelines which state that the project must be directly run by the organisation concerned.

Town mayor Malcolm Dunlop, chairman of the Cybercafe Steering Committee, said there had always been a possibility that the project would run into difficulties but was optimistic about the outcome.

He added: "We will be calling an emergency meeting to discuss the structure of the current set-up but we have a lot of members who are confident of achieving the result by any means that are proper.

"We are not sure of the best way of proceeding from here."

The lottery money would have covered the cost of the project for its first year.

The cybercafe would then be expected to be self-funding.

Beaconsfield town councillor Coralie Heasman, who is also on the Cyberfield committee which was set up to run the project, was behind the attempt to secure lottery funding.

She said she was disappointed with the decision.

She added: "We got through to the second stage of the process but they have very strong criteria for giving the grants out and the reason was that the community association itself was not giving the service directly.

"There have been other funding methods suggested but it is impossible to say what the next step will be until after the meeting.

Cllr Heasman said she was puzzled by the reaction of the cybercafe steering committee, claiming she had pointed out that securing a lottery grant was unlikely.

She added: "It came as a surprise to me that when the committee heard the lottery funding was not happening, they have called this meeting.

"I had always said it was doubtful, so when I told them what had happened I was surprised at the reaction."

Fundraising is being undertaken by town councillor Teresa Rosell (Con, North Ward), who will be approaching businesses armed with a brochure outlining the aims and concepts of the cafe. The emergency meeting will be on May 15.