Havant Borough Council is to apply for a government grant to build a watersports academy on the resort's southern shoreline.

The bid comes after the council unveiled its masterplan to build a stunning seafront for the 21st century last month, as exclusively revealed in the Islander.

The council commissioned architects to come up with proposals to bring new life to the resort.

The ideas include a 50ft tower that would light up at night, 100 luxury flats, entertainment venues, a futuristic funfair and a watersports academy.

But council chiefs are all too aware that there isn't any money in the bank to fund the ambitious proposals.

They are hoping that securing funding for the watersports academy will have a "snowball effect" - encouraging developers to commit funding to other projects.

The bid is due to be submitted by December to the government's Sea Change fund - a £45million project aimed at regenerating seaside resorts.

Blackpool and Torbay, in Devon, have already secured up to £4million funding for regeneration.

Mr Campbell said: "We are looking to focus on the watersports element.

"If we get the first phase off the ground it may encourage other funding avenues."

The watersports academy would be a pebble-design sports centre - boasting a cafe, specialist sports shops, gym, equipment hire, sauna, plus other treatment rooms.

The centre would replace the Inn on the Beach, where a number of watersport events are currently held, but which has only limited facilities to cater for the large numbers they attract.

Council chiefs are hoping that the latest bid does not suffer the same fate as Destination Hayling.

The dream £24million lottery bid to turn Hayling into a windsurfing mecca was turned down in September 2006 after the Big Lottery decided there was not enough evidence to show the need for new facilities.

But Mr Campbell said: "We won't be trying to secure funding without having detailed proposals in place."

A public consultation will start on the proposals in July.