UNCERTAINTY still surrounds the fate of the Farnham Initiative, after its position came in for heated discussion at a Farnham Town Council meeting.

The board of the initiative recently announced that, with the appointment of a town development officer in prospect, it would be stepping down at the end of March, leaving the future of the body hanging in the balance.

At the council amenities committee, members voted in favour of "ensuring the function previously undertaken by the Farnham Initiative continues in some form".

However, the crucial issue of whether the town council had in fact offered the initiative £20,000 to enable it to retain its independence was a source of much contention.

Victor Scrivens felt such an option had been discussed by the council, and wished to "seek clarification on where it had been withdrawn and on whose authority".

Town mayor Victor Duckett presented the council's stance on the issue.

He said the initiative had been given its opportunity to comment on the independent Civic Trust report (addressing initiative funding) which had been conducted on the initiative's operations last year.

Mr Duckett said it was unfortunate the initiative had chosen not to call a special board meeting to discuss its comments relating to the Civic Trust report, instead forwarding alternative proposals.

This, he said, was not as agreed (at the last council meeting) and under the council's standing orders, had not allowed the initiative's proposals to be discussed at the next full council on November 1.

He said the council had agreed to provide core funding to the initiative for the town development officer's services.

This did not equate to a payment as referred to by Mr Scrivens, he claimed. "We did not vote on it. It has not been an option and it will not be."

Mr Scrivens accepted the explanation offered by the mayor.

He did however, raise the possibility that the council's proposed town development officer may not be in place when the initiative manager Phyllida Adams steps down on March 31.

In response to this it was agreed by the council that a contingency plan regarding this would have to be considered.

Commenting later, Mr Duckett said the "logical option" would be (with the agreement of council) to retain the initiative manager as an interim measure if no appointment was made by April 1.

A vote was then taken on the recommendations put forward by the recent Farnham Initiative sub committee, which had been tasked with considering its future.

All its five proposals were agreed by a majority of the amenities committee.

These included:

p That the services of the council's proposed town development officer be allocated to serve the initiative sub-committee

p That the Farnham Initiative Sub Committee is retained with terms of reference to be agreed.

p Farnham Town Council recognises the Farnham Initiative function should work with all the agencies who impact on the town.

The initiative sub-committee is now considering its future in relation to the town council.