CHILDREN from Newtown Primary School in Trowbridge have been putting forward their views on the future of the town and a cinema is their top choice for a new amenity.

Pupils in years five and six have been working on their very own version of the Vision For Trowbridge masterplan recently adopted by West Wiltshire District Council.

Head teacher, Andy Milroy, said: "They were very interested in it. Often with children if you can make what they are learning as relevant as possible then they enjoy it better and remember it more."

The children were each given a copy of a Vision For Trowbridge drawing and told to divide it into three sections; retail, leisure and commercial.

Within the sites they had designated for retail use they then specified which shops and what sort of leisure facilities they would like to see in the town and also what their parents would enjoy.

Analicia Richards was one of the pupils taking part. She said: "We had to make it better and had to balance leisure, commercial and residential. I want a cinema because it would be fun and we wouldn't have to go out of town."

Her friends, Chloe Smith and Josh Sheridan were also keen to get a cinema into the town.

Other ideas included an ice-skating rink, skittle alley, a bigger swimming pool and more shops for people their age.

They said that their parents would like a wider choice of cafes and shops.

The work that the children are doing not only allows them to become involved in what is happening in the community around them, but also ties in with what they are doing at school.

At the moment in geography they are learning about what is in the news and in history they have been studying how a community develops.

They have been paying particular attention to Newtown and how it has grown and developed since the 17th century.

The children were told all about the masterplan by Marco Polledri from Trowbridge Chamber of Commerce and their ideas will now be passed on to the 'Vision' working group.

Mr Milroy said: "Year five and six are very much like young adults and have quite a good understanding of the different concepts involved.

"The response we have got to this is as sensible and reasonable as that you would get from adults."