400 protestors march through streets of Trowbridge (From Wiltshire Times)

400 protestors march through streets of Trowbridge

3:56pm Saturday 7th July 2012 in Trowbridge By Mike Wilkinson , Senior Reporter

More than four hundred people marched through the streets of Trowbridge on Saturday to say a resounding 'yes' to the Innox Riverside cinema plans and to vent their anger at Wiltshire councillors who rejected the £46m scheme.

Residents from across West Wiltshire, young and old, and business owners joined forces to show their support for the plans, which were last month rejected by councillors.

They marched and chanted: "What do we want? We want Innox Riverside. When do we want it? We want it now."

It was the biggest protest march through the town seen in a generation.

A downpour of rain failed to dampen the protest which was organised by Trowbridge mum-of-two Rebecca Millard.

They marched to County Hall where they heard from speakers including Wiltshire councillor Graham Payne, who backs the plans, Mike Baxter, a Trowbridge resident and former cinema operator, and Angus Horner, managing director of Prorus, the development company behind the scheme for the former Bowyers pork pie factory site on Stallard Street.

Hundreds of signatures were also added to a petition which will be handed to councillors on Thursday at 7pm at Trowbridge Civic Centre.

Councillors on the Western Area Planning Committee refused the plans for a Cineworld, Morrisons and six restaurants.

Mr Horner, who was cheered by the crowd, said: "This is absolutely fantastic. I am frankly staggered. I am delighted that people have thrown their weight behind this scheme.

"I don't share the poverty of ambition for Trowbridge that some people have.

"It is a scheme that is going to raise the bar for the county town."

Mr Horner is appealing the decision and a government inspector will make a final ruling in the coming months.

For the full story, reaction and pictures see this Friday's Wiltshire Times.