There is anger after the two biggest sporting scandals in Basingstoke did not appear on the agenda of an important council committee this week.

Neither the saga surrounding the Camrose ground, nor the future of the ice rink, will be discussed at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's community, environment and partnerships (CEP) committee on Wednesday (July 28).

The council's website states that the committee "is responsible for holding decision makers to account for improving outcomes and services relating to the environment, the community and the council's partners", and has been debating the future of both scandals in recent months.

The meeting will instead debate a number of issues, including bin replacements, recycling bring banks and libraries. But the threats facing the two most well-supported sports teams in the borough will now not be discussed at CEP until September at the earliest.

It also comes after last month's CEP meeting was cancelled.

Representatives from both the football club and ice rink users' forum have said they are disappointed that neither were included.

Sally Cashman, chair of the Ice Rink Users' Forum, a regular at CEP meetings, told The Gazette: "I am extremely disappointed that issues surrounding the ice rink are not on the agenda for the CEP meeting on 28th July.

"The last update at the CEP meeting was in March, the meeting in June was cancelled, the next meeting after July is September.

"This means there will be a 5-month gap in updates to the CEP. We would question why they are once again ignoring the issue.

"I know these are difficult times for local councils but this does not mean they can ignore this long-standing issue and once again push it in to the long grass, hoping that the ice users will just go away.

"Well, we will not go away, we will not give up."

Meanwhile, Jack Miller, interim chairman of BTFC, said "there is a demonstrated and urgent need for enhanced sporting facilities in the borough and it is disappointing these issues are not being discussed in the CEP meeting".

He added: "Our club drafted an up-to-date feasibility study which highlighted the need for sustainable sport facilities in the borough not only for participants to play on and use, but wider ancillary facilities needed too for socio-cultural benefit as well as socio-economic principles.

"The town is crying out for new and improved facilities."

The football club saga was last debated at CEP in September 2020, with members requesting an update at a future meeting.

BDBC is facing pressure to step in to help both the ice rink and the football club.

BTFC was evicted from its historic home ground in 2019, and whilst the council paid for upgrades to Winklebury complex to enable the club to return to Basingstoke, it has faced calls to take further steps to save the Camrose.

Meanwhile, Basingstoke's ice rink is owned by a private company, but the land it stands on is owned by the council, with disagreements in recent months over which party should fund repairs to the rink.