A BUSINESSMAN'S dream of turning a defunct Trowbridge toilet block into a Wiltshire version of the Loo-vre has met with stinging criticism from the town's mayor.

Thomas Rothschild wants to turn a rundown toilet block on the town bridge into an art gallery to help put Trowbridge on the cultural map.

But his plans to create his own scaled-down version of the world-famous French art gallery have not found favour with civic leaders.

Mayor Glyn Bridges branded the toilet block as "horrible" and said the whole area was in need of landscaping.

"It is very commendable of Mr Rothschild to want to spend money in Trowbridge but I wish he would spend it on more appropriate projects," he said.

"These lavatories are by no stretch of the imagination handsome. They do nothing for the landscape.

"They are awful and really do need to come down.

"It is an unusual idea but I cannot see art critics flocking to Trowbridge.

"I can see the headlines in the national press though.

"The Louvre in Trowbridge it could be interesting but it is not what we want."

Trowbridge Town Council wants to remove the toilet block and renovate the area, to link up the riverside walk with two historic town gems the Blind House and Handle House.

It is not the first time Mr Rothschild has come up with grand plans for the toilet block.

Earlier this year his application to transform the unit into an exhibition hall was turned down by West Wiltshire District Council.

The businessman's earlier project to create a Peace Hall to mark the new millennium also hit the rocks.

At the time Mr Rothschild, who built Pumpkin Tower in Bythesea Road, said the hall would be his own religious vision.

He said: "West Wiltshire District Council has a Vision for Trowbridge, I have a reality: it is Christianity, and the most important of the Ten Commandments 'thou shall not kill'.

"With this in mind I wish to build a monument for the new millennium for the hope of world peace to come."

Ironically it was the Vision framework that scuppered his bid to construct an exhibition hall, as blueprints clashed with the newly adopted guidelines.

Trowbridge Town Council is due to discuss the art gallery plan at a meeting on Monday.

cevry@newswilts.co.uk