Wells MP Tessa Munt was refused the opportunity to speak at a parish meeting on Wednesday about proposed hunt kennels near Chewton Mendip.

The Liberal Democrat MP, who has been in her seat for a month, had attended the meeting at Emborough to hear the case for and against the kennels and wanted to ask the hunt chairman Alastair Martin and master Richard Standing questions about the kennels and the hunt's plans for the future.

But hunt supporters complained that as Ms Munt was not a resident of Emborough or a representative of Chewton Mendip or Ston Easton Parish council, she should not be allowed to speak.

Ms Munt attempted to enlist help from Emborough residents in asking her questions, but there were complaints that the process was taking too long, and that the people she had asked had already had their say.

Ms Munt eventually asked her questions of Mr Martin and Mr Standing privately after the meeting had closed.

Emborough does not have a parish council and the parish meeting was the first to be held in the village since February 2008.

All 160 voters in the village were invited to attend.

Sixteen people turned up from the village, along with around 30 people supporting and opposing the proposals.

A secret ballot of the 16 residents was held to see whether the village approved or not of the kennels plan as the site lies within the Emborough parish boundary.

The villagers voted by 10 to six to support the kennels plan.

At Chewton Mendip's parish council meeting on Monday, the kennel proposals were raised for discussion.

Those opposing the kennels stressed that they were not opposed to hunting, but felt that the kennels were planned for the wrong location.

Six parish councillors attended the meeting and one had left a vote to be considered.

As three of the councillors had family or business links with the hunt, they were found to have a personal or prejudicial interest and did not vote on the planning application.

Chairman of the Parish Council Richard St John said that he was a member of the hunt skittles leagues and enjoyed the spectacle of the hunt – but he was strongly opposed to the kennels proposal.

"I cannot think of one positive reason why we should support this application," he said.

"It could be of no benefit to Chewton Mendip whatsoever.

"In Emborough, they had a meeting which voted 10 to six in favour.

"If we had a parish meeting in Chewton Mendip it would have been 180 to 20 against."

Those parish councillors who did vote took part in a secret ballot, and voted three against and one abstention.

The council will now recommend to Mendip District Council that it refuses the application.