CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a skate bowl on a recreation ground in Liss have been officially ruled out by parish councillors.

But one of the project's biggest supporters has strongly refuted claims that there are no suitable sites for the facility in the village.

A motion that officially rules out the construction of a skate bowl next to the proposed West Liss Pavilion was passed on Monday.

Paddy Payne told Liss Parish Council that land off Station Road wasn't suitable because of poor soil and drainage issues.

He said: "I'd like to put this particular thing to bed. The location on West Liss Recreation Ground is unsuitable for a number of reasons.

"It's got particularly poor soil and bad drainage, but it's also close to trees and a football pitch. To put a skate bowl there would also mean putting a long footpath in at considerable expense."

He added: "To be honest, it's not a position for a skate bowl I thought was viable."

Mr Payne has refused to give up on building a skate bowl in Liss despite years of opposition from both councillors and residents.

He is arguably the parish council's biggest supporter of the project but his passion to do "something for the kids" has occasionally caused tensions.

He persuaded East Hampshire District Council in January to delay a parish council request to reallocate £40,000 of developers' funds on the West Liss Pavilion scheme.

The one-man revolt came a few weeks after Liss Parish Council agreed to a motion, in principle, to use money previously set aside for the skate bowl.

The motion to rule out officially Station Road recreation ground as a possible site was unanimously agreed by councillors at the village hall meeting.

Howard Linsley raised a few eyebrows by saying that less people would give money to the pavilion scheme if a skate bowl was being built alongside it.

But a suggested motion by Sue Halsted, stating there is no suitable site for a skate facility in the village, threatened to cause fireworks.

"It would be helpful to also say at this point of time that no other site has been identified as a suitable site in the village," said Mrs Halsted.

Mr Payne immediately claimed the statement was inaccurate and pointed out that Newman Collard was one of three possible options. "We haven't found it unsuitable and we've also never voted on it," added Mr Payne, before the pair agreed on a motion stating that "at this point in time no other site in Liss has been agreed".