An artist's impression of the proposed £5 million Riverbank theatre/cinemaTOWN councillors in Marlborough have astounded trustees of the proposed new Riverbank theatre/cinema by objecting to the plans on a technicality.

The Riverbank trustees are baffled over why town councillors have objected to the £5 million scheme.

The plans have become mired because members of the town council believe they include turning part of the adjacent water meadow into a marsh.

On Monday members of the town council planning committee welcomed the plans for the theatre but then voted against them because they said Coopers Meadow should be left untouched.

Members of the Kennet Valley Arts Trust, who have spent six years promoting the theatre plans, said the town council had already agreed to minor changes in the water meadow when outline planning permission was agreed in December 2000. Retired architect Nigel Clarke, one of the leading trustees, said the town council had already agreed that the leat that runs around the meadow at the point where it is proposed the Riverbank will stand could be diverted.

There was no suggestion, said Mr Clarke, that any of the meadow would be turned into a marsh although there were some plans for wetland planting.

Riverbank director Rosie Hill said: "What puzzles me is that the town council has already agreed to this, nothing has changed since we were granted the outline permission for the Riverbank."

Mrs Hill and Mr Clarke had been invited to give a presentation to the council before Monday's meeting but were then told it would breach the council's standing orders that state presentations cannot be given after a planning application has been submitted.

She said she was baffled by the town council's red tape because when the plans go before Kennet District Council's regulatory committee the trustees will be given the opportunity to air their views.

Mrs Hill said all town councillors had been invited to a presentation at the town hall on January 6 but only three or four attended.

An angry Mr Clarke said: "We are proposing a civic building for the town and district and we are not in this to make a profit.

"By the town council's attitude they are not encouraging us to work so hard on this project."

Only one councillor actually spoke out against the idea of the town having its own theatre, Coun Richard Allen, who questioned the need.

He said a new and larger theatre was proposed in the new St John's School; there were two theatres in Marlborough College that the town had access to; the town hall had in the past doubled as a theatre and St Peter's Church was well used for musical events.

Coun Allen said he also objected to the design of the theatre and could foresee parking problems if the project went ahead.

Coun Andy Ross said he was disappointed with the design but added: "This is a very impressive project and I would be failing in my duty as a councillor if I did object to it."

Coun Michael Gray said he supported a modern functional building on the site rather than "a pastiche" made to look like other buildings in the town.

However, said Coun Gray, the adjacent Coopers Meadow was an area of historic water meadow.

Allowing surface water to drain into the meadow would turn part of it into a swamp, said Coun Gray.

Concern over the preservation of the water meadow was also expressed by Coun Nick Fogg who said that he otherwise supported the Riverbank scheme.

After a lengthy discussion the committee agreed by a vote of seven-one to tell Kennet District Council that while it supported the principle of the theatre it was against the proposal to create a marsh in part of Coopers Meadow, which the town council owns.