PLANS for a multi-million pound business park in Trowbridge were rejected as residents turned out in force to barrack councillors with their concerns.

People living close to the site of the proposed business park off Bradford Road got the chance to voice their concerns over traffic chaos, flooding risks and round-the-clock disruption at a packed meeting on Thursday.

They had already collected a 500-name petition against the scheme.

West Wiltshire District councillors backed residents' concerns and threw out the application, but many fear it is only a matter of time before the project comes back to haunt them.

Sarah-Jane Newbury, who lives in nearby Innox Road, said she was delighted with the council's decision but stressed the fight to stop the development would continue.

"The developer will come back again so we will have to keep an eye on it. People are very, very worried. Fear of flood is real," she said.

"We hope the council will move heaven and earth to get the land back as an agricultural zone."

Cabot Trustees, the firm behind the application,

wanted to build nearly 10,000sq m of storage and office space in the business park complex.

Ward councillor Tom James said residents felt cheated after a government inspector reversed a decision to zone the land as agricultural space, opening the

way for the planning application.

Architect Mark Blackmore said the floods of October 2000 proved residents were right to fear for their properties, with any building on water meadows exacerbating the existing problem.

He said: "Will the council provide insurance and compensation to cover damage caused by flood to both

properties of commercial and domestic type?"

Tony Durant, who works at Bowyers, said the factory could be forced to close if floodwater affected the sophisticated drainage systems.

But commercial property agent Brian Fitchett said the business park was needed in Trowbridge.

He said Bath Spa University, a well-known software company and a medical centre have already made preliminary enquiries about moving there.

Councillors turned down the application on flooding and congestion grounds.

Pupils at nearby Walwayne Court Primary School learned about road safety when a 16-metre lorry was brought into the playground last Wednesday as part of the Trucks and Child Safety initiative.

School governors feared an increase in industrial traffic could threaten the safety of pupils and parents if the business park went ahead.