A PUBLIC spat over the positioning of a scroll of donors who funded a plinth for the town's first piece of public sculpture has led to a resignation threat from a former mayor, one of Haslemere's longest serving town councillors.
Haslemere Town Council turned down a request several months ago from the outgoing mayor of the town Michael Barnes.
He had asked to have a scroll of names of people who had subscribed to the Elizabeth 1 plinth in Charter Walk and who wished to be included, hung in the town hall in public recognition of their generosity.
But so disappointed was Mr Barnes at the town council's refusal, and determined not to let the matter rest, he raised the issue again at last week's annual meeting of Haslemere Town Council, following the appointment of new mayor Stephen Mulliner.
Ted Orchard, a town councillor for more than 20 years, and whose name appears on the scroll, said that while he "did not want to bring a note of discord to the meeting, all the councillors had turned it down at a previous finance and general purposes meeting".
He said he had "very serious concerns" over the way fundraising for the plinth was handled. He accused the former mayor, who had a made a commitment to donors that their names would be recorded on the scroll and hung in the town hall, of putting them in a position where they were "lured" into giving to the appeal.
"It was almost like a sale of honour," said Mr Orchard.
"I do not wish my name to be included on the scroll and if it does, I will resign from the council," declared Mr Orchard.
But Mr Orchard's name is on the scroll. It is one of the 31 names of those who gave towards the plinth of the bronze bust of Queen Elizabeth 1, sculpted by Malcolm Stathers and given to the town by Sara Ricci in memory of her mother Margarette Rhodes.
Donors include Patricia Addison, Michael and Sarah Barnes, Michael Biddiscombe, Andrew Brownrigg, Richard Briscoe, Burley and Geach, Clement Window Group, Christine and Geoffrey Codd, Hamish and Linda Donaldson, Audrey and Sandy Dowell, Cyril Earnshaw, Moyra Finlay, Grayshott Pottery, Haslemere Museum, Haslemere Society, Brian Howard, Peter Isherwood, Barbara Jeffers, James Mackie, Andrew Neate, Melanie Odell, Mike O'Neill, the Ricci family, Robert Serman, Col Toby Sewell and Malcolm Stathers.
It also commemorates the unveiling of the statue by Michael Barnes last November.
While complimenting the Mr Barnes on raising the money for the plinth, Jacquie Keen said: "My concerns are that in looking round, the council is rapidly running of of space - everybody raises money for something in the town, how do we recognise those good deeds?" she asked.
"It is a magnificent idea but the council chamber is very small, but in the nicest possibly way we don't want to clutter it up," said Mrs Keen.
Michael Biddiscombe, a member of the museum committee said the museum had said they were also unwilling to display the scroll as they had taken no part in the bust in Charter Walk, and it was "not appropriate for them".
Peter Isherwood supported a compromise that the scroll should hang in a position within the town hall but Mr Orchard disagreed.
"No one objects to the scroll being done for historical purposes and its proper place is in the archives."
The recommendation to hang the scroll in the town hall was turned down on a vote of five for and seven against.
After the meeting, Mr Orchard said he had not been consulted over whether he wished his name to included among the list of donors and "it was a breach of his privacy".
"I don't mind my name going on a scroll to be kept as a historical record to be put in the archives for future generations.
"What I don't want is my name to be displayed as a donor, and certainly not in the town hall."