THE future of the proposed skate bowl in Liss has been thrown into turmoil after a week in which a public meeting to decide its fate was cancelled and a proposed motion to move it forward was thrown out.

The latest battle in the long-running saga unfolded as tempers flared in a heated argument between parish councillors over a proposed motion to set up a new working party.

Councillor Howard Linsley proposed the group be set up to "scrutinise all issues relating to the provision [of] a skate facility in Liss and not to make any decision to proceed with any skate facility until the final report of the working party has been fully considered".

But councillors rejected the motion, which came just days after a public meeting scheduled for last Saturday (that should have decided the fate for the £80,000 project) was cancelled due to a lack of information.

People attending Monday's full council meeting voiced their frustration at recent events. Keith Budden said: "This has not been a PR disaster but a PR tsunami. We are being treated with contempt, rather than being treated as we should be."

And Mr Linsley said: "It is quite clear to me that the events of the last few months have been a pig's ear."

The parish council unanimously voted in favour of a skate bowl in 2005, and a working party was set up then to work on the project.

Paddy Payne, who is part of the original parish council skate bowl working party, raised his objections while the motion was being read out, adding: "I see this as a dreadful slight on all the effort everyone has put in. It is an insult."

Mr Linsley said approving the motion would give "an opportunity to bring everyone in the village together, working to an agreed process".

Brian Mayo added: "I can't understand the logic of running two working parties. Why can't the existing working party continue its work?"

Sue Halstead said: "I am uncomfortable that we as a council are being seen to force through this project. It is the biggest I have seen in 25 years on this council. It is clear to me there are many people with genuine concerns and a lot of them have not yet received full answers. We should do all we can to take the residents with us on a project of this size."

While focus in recent weeks has been put on a petition of Liss residents in opposition to the scheme, Mr Payne said he had seen children in the village who were "desperate" for the development to go ahead.

"This is a caring council and this is what we are hoping to bring about...for the youngsters of this village who have been asking for this for eight years," he said.

Jim Duckham said the skate bowl project had come about after resident's responses to a village questionnaire had supported the idea. He said the latest wave of opposition had come from "a small minority of perhaps two or three people" who had "whipped up a storm of anti-skate bowl feeling".

Parish council chairman Roger Mullenger said: "We will arrange the next meeting when we have the information. It is not in the public interest, or in our interest, to delay the decision."

One of the outstanding factors was insurance, while the possibility of water pipes or gas mains passing underneath the proposed sites was another. Mr Mullenger said that East Hampshire District Council clarification over whether planning permission would be needed was also being sought.

He also apologised for the cancellation of Saturday's meeting at only four days notice, but added that it was necessary as a quarter of the information needed was still unavailable.

West Liss recreation ground and Newman Collard playing field are the two possible locations being looked at.

After Mondays' meeting Mr Linsley said: "This was a lost opportunity to bring the issue of a skate facility to a conclusion acceptable to the village as a whole."