The parish council in Hoveton is making a final appeal for donations before it lodges a bid to buy Granary Staithe, a prominent riverside site, from Norfolk County Council.

The county council is marketing the historic area for �100,000 but the parish council is next week expected to make an offer substantially lower than that.

Its vision is to turn the untidy site into a performance area for music and theatre with a bandstand. New information panels will explain the history of the staithe where wherries once moored.

It also wants to introduce landscaping and seating and link the staithe to the shopping precinct with a bridge across a dyke.

Council spokesman Peter Howe said: 'We are amazed at how the donations have rolled in since the appeal was launched in June. Roys of Wroxham kindly allowed the chairman of Hoveton Parish Council, Carolyn Williams, to have a pitch in the store for two hours every Thursday morning in July.

'Thanks to articles in the EDP and a widespread leaflet drop, residents just kept rolling up with their cash and cheques.

'One woman gave �1 for every year of her life. Another resident had just sold an unwanted household item and donated the amount he got for it.'

He said several businesses and local voluntary organisations had also pledged money if a successful purchase could be negotiated.

Mrs Williams said: 'It has been phenomenal and the sentiment is always the same: 'We must keep Granary Staithe in community ownership in perpetuity'.

Final donation cheques should be made payable to Hoveton Parish Council and sent to the chairman, Carolyn Williams, Crabbetts, Horning Road, Hoveton, NR12 8JW.'