OPPONENTS of a hugely controversial church hall scheme will finally have the chance to put their case next week - as a new survey shows 94 per cent of villagers are against the idea.

The ecclesiastical court hearing into proposals for a new £500,000 facility next door to All Saints' Parish Church, Hordle, will resume on Tuesday and should be completed the following day.

Last month, Winchester Diocese Chancellor Christopher Clark heard evidence from the vicar, Canon Michael Anderson, and his supporters about how the new complex was needed to replace the village's outdated and unsafe memorial hall.

Mr Anderson insisted the project would benefit the whole community, and also defended the much criticised removal of grave headstones from the site to make way for the hall.

And while 1,200 people signed a protest petition, warning of traffic chaos outside the adjacent primary school and calling for a revamp or rebuild of the popular memorial hall instead, the vicar cast doubt on how many of the signatures came from actual villagers.

But a new survey, restricted to people on the electoral register within Hordle, found 94 per cent of those who responded were against building a new hall in the graveyard.

And, crucially, 91 per cent of church congregation members questioned in the poll also objected to the vicar's plan.

Objectors campaign leader Tim Boyce said: "Bearing in mind Mr Anderson's criticisms, we tried to keep this survey much more scientific and focussed on Hordle. I think the results speak for themselves."

Dozens of opposition statements have also been submitted for the Chancellor's consideration, with some accusing the church of hypocrisy and treating its parishioners with contempt.

And now around ten or 11 witnesses, including traffic experts, will have the chance to put their arguments in person during the second part of the hearing, which has been extended from one day to two.

The court will again sit at All Saints' itself, starting at 10am both days, and the public are welcome to attend.