BOOS, hissing, laughing and cheering. All things you would associate more with a pantomime than a parish council meeting.

However, this is exactly what happened at an Extraordinary General Meeting of Odiham Parish Council (OPC) on Tuesday, 20 March.

The meeting had been called due to ongoing unrest among councillors and residents surrounding a plan to develop agricultural land in the village, known as the Deer Park.

At the meeting, members of the public aired their displeasure at the decision made by the majority of councillors in February to back the plan to construct seven new homes on land off Dunleys Hill.

Villagers are seeking a parish poll to call a vote of no confidence in members of the parish council.

Speaking at the meeting, Richard Coleman said: “The application goes against several policies in the new Neighbourhood Plan.

“Additionally, there has been a failure to address, satisfactorily, public concerns over wider OPC conduct ranging from lack of transparency to misleading communications and general disdain and unpleasantness to each other and residents they are elected to serve.”

James Harvey added: “The Deer Park and Albion Farm provide examples of where in my view some councillors have failed.”

When going into debate, bickering emerged among councillors over the proper conduct to introduce motions, which led to the chair of the meeting Councillor Mark Faulkner having to remind fellow councillors of their behaviour on more than one occasion.

At the outset Cllr Faulkner had said reasons for calling the meeting where “flawed”

but he would “entertain it regardless.”

Having dismissed items as “not appropriate for the EGM”

many villagers in attendance called for Cllr Faulkner to resign.

When it was proposed for the parish council to reverse the decision to support the development, the majority of the councillors said there was no new evidence to change their mind.

A meeting to be held on March 28 will outline the intent to hold a no-confidence vote If 10 or more electors support the motion the district is obliged to hold a referendum or parish poll.