CONTROVERSIAL basketball posts at the Petersfield public tennis courts are to stay, despite the fact that players claim they are dangerous.
Members of the grounds committee had voted by four to one to recommend the removal of the basketball posts which restricted play on two of the public tennis courts in The Avenue.
But their decision was overturned by a full meeting of the council during a display of bad temper which brought long- standing councillor Elsa Bulmer to her feet.
She told councillors the basketball post issue was "just one more example of the way we are dealing with things at this council. I think its deplorable."
She added: "I really think at the moment this council is in quite a parlous state and I have been convinced that I have to say this tonight."
And Kate Pitt told her colleagues she was saddened that they were trying to score political points off each other. "We should be here for the good of the town."
The matter was first brought to the council's attention by tennis players in Petersfield. A tennis coach said the addition of the basketball posts on two courts was dangerous and intrusive.
The basketball posts were placed on The Avenue courts after an offer from the Outdoor Basketball Initiative to fund two posts.
It has meant that a foot has been lost from behind the baseline of two tennis courts.
Padding has been placed around the posts, but some town councillors and tennis players still feel they pose a threat to tennis players running at the back of the courts.
Brian Dutton proposed at the grounds committee that the basketball posts should be moved to a better site, using developers' contributions cash.
He told the meeting on Monday: "We need first-class tennis facilities and you can't have them if basketball players are playing on two of the courts. Basketball players travel a great distance and they cannot play without interfering with tennis players."
Bob Ayer told the meeting he believed the decision to put the posts on the tennis courts was "disastrous". He said the tennis community had not been consulted about the posts and they should have been.
"I advised against it in council and I will continue to do so.
"Councillors say that the tennis courts are under-used, but this was self-inflicted. We made a disastrous decision to sell season tickets and eventually we resolved this was not a good idea."
Brian Keefe told the meeting it was clear that the matter had not been dealt with in the proper way.
The tiny community of Steep had 400 tennis players in their club and could not cope with any more, yet in Petersfield the town had lowered the standard of its courts by making them dual-use.
"East Hampshire District Council says that we should be providing best value. We should not be looking at knockabout tennis, but the quality game which produces county players in the future. We cannot do that if we haven't got quality courts."
He said he believed the sports community should be asked to bring forward proposals and there should be "proper sustainable" courts in the town.
"There is a market for tennis clearly established. We have not been able to get people interested in a club at The Avenue but obviously we were tied into the wrong scheme."
But Town Mayor Chris Jenner claimed that apart from two weeks after Wimbledon the town's courts were not used.
"I am very loathe to incur more expense and I would not want developers' contributions to be used. They could go towards something more fruitful."
He said there was now dual use of the hardstanding. "They are community courts. If people want to join a club they can go to Steep or Liss. We had a club here and the lease wasn't signed."
Mary Vincent added: "We tried for years to get a tennis club on the courts and, as now, no one is up for it. To make them dual-purpose is a good idea."
Phil Humphries, chairman of the grounds committee, said the town now had two courts which were tournament standard and two which were one foot short where the basketball posts had been placed.
"It was the right thing to do and we have done it. It is now in danger of being undone and at the expense of the council's taxpayers."
John Crowhurst told the meeting a working party should be set up to discover whether the tennis courts were a viable community asset.
"We should look at the whole future of the tennis facility and see if it is required. If it is not viable, then turn the whole thing into basketball courts."
Councillors voted in favour of Mr Jenner's recommendation to leave the basketball posts where they were unless someone came forward wanting to run a tennis club, in which case the situation would be reviewed.
Mr Jenner had told councillors: "I don't like the way this debate is heading and I am going to cut it short."