A HASLEMERE town councillor has called for more consultations with his colleagues after more than a third of the items discussed at last week's finance and general purposes meeting were heard in secret session.
Of the 27 items on the agenda, eight were discussed behind the closed doors of the council chamber with the Press and one member of the public barred.
Among the items which were due to have been held in secret was the highly controversial access problems to Charter Walk.
Speaking at the Tory-controlled town council finance and general purposes committee last week Liberal Democrat Mark Lelliott complained about the number of items of the confidential orange papers of the agenda, including Charter Walk.
Interrupted by Patrick Kirkman who was chairing the meeting to "have this debate when the Press have left" Mr Lelliott replied with an emphatic "no".
"I am making an appeal in future that when items are put on orange paper, we should have consultations beforehand," said Mr Lelliott.
"One or two of these confidential items in particular I would like to have discussed in the public domain," he said.
"I am sympathetic with Mr Lelliott," said Ted Orchard.
"This council should minimise confidential matters, it should stick to the interpretation of its guidelines and use common sense," he said.
After a cryptic list of deletions from the item concerning Charter Walk was delivered by Mr Lelliott and agreed by the council, the revised agenda item was then read out.
"Councillors will be aware of Charter Walk and aware of the so-called 'ransom strip'. Councillors are asked to agree to authorise the mayor and deputy mayor to take all necessary steps."
It was followed by a stone wall of silence from every councillor present
Among other items on the agenda understood to be held in secret session was the tender for the new Haslemere Town Guide which has been awarded to Thinking Virtual of Wey Hill, insurance and other matters relating the gift to the town of a sundial by the Royal School and an update on arrangements for the second official photograph of the year of the town council.
Staffing matters were also believed to have been discussed including salary payments to the former clerk and finance officer Cyril Earnshaw who has been on long-term sick leave.
New trees for Cherry Tree Avenue, discussions of which have been on-going for months, were also debated behind closed doors it is believed.
"It's ludicrous," said Mr Lelliott who vowed to continue pressing for more consultation over confidential items.
Otherwise he warned: "I will keep on making an issue everytime we want to talk about something in private."
After the meeting the mayor of Haslemere Michael Barnes said he "couldn't believe the number of confidential orange papers".
"It was almost as thick as the main agenda and there was no reason for some of them being there," he said.