THE future of this year’s Odiham Extravaganza could be in doubt after councillors rowed over its organisation, a parish council chairman has warned.

The annual event, which is due to take place in November this year, attracts crowds to the village’s shops with fireworks, hog roasts and Christmas lights.

Councillor Simon Quarrell, chairman of Odiham Parish Council, asked councillors to revisit a decision by a parish council committee not to hand the organisation of the event to the Odiham Town Management Group (OTMG), as it had done in previous years.

Two weeks ago, some members of the events and community committee had raised concerns about handing over the event to the OTMG – a company set up in 2001 to promote the village – as both Cllr Quarrell and Cllr Derek Kearns are non-paid directors of the company.

At the full council meeting on Monday, Cllr Quarrell said: “What is happening here is that if you are going to take a view that we are not going to have a discussion, then we are increasing the risk of the Extravaganza not going ahead.”

But Cllr Roger Clarke told the meeting that it was against parish council rules to discuss the item, as the events and community committee had already made their decision – a point confirmed by parish council clerk Jan Hyatt.

Cllr Clarke added: “It would bring this council into disrepute if we fault on our own standing order and we revisit our own items.”

Cllr Helen Fleming added that the event could still go ahead this year with different organisers if people are willing to co-operate. At this point, Cllr Quarrell withdrew his proposal.

Three members of the public spoke at the start of the meeting, expressing their disappointment after hearing that the Extravaganza might not go ahead this year – and there was an angry reaction to the way the parish council had handled the matter after the meeting.

Richard Harris, of Broad Oak, Odiham told The Gazette: “I was appalled to think that they are there to represent the parish.

“What I saw was internal politics, and that politics is putting at risk the Extravaganza – something which is an integral part of Odiham.”