In December site-owners Alislane submitted planning applications to Harborough District Council to bulldoze the site and replace it with a complex including retail space and retirement flats.

But at a district council planning meeting on Tuesday, councillors supported officers’ recommendations for refusing planning permission for the applications. Reasons given for refusal included the proposed design for the new building, which was thought to be out of keeping with the surrounding area.

Committee members also agreed with officers that the plan ‘did not take full advantage of the very significant opportunity this site affords to improve the character and quality of the area.’

Cllr Dr Sarah Hill said: “The potential for a cinema at the site is irrelevant.

“We are here to talk about the design. I don’t like the design and I’m quite comfortable with the officers’ recommendations.”

Only Cllr Michael Rook voted in support of the application, saying that good design was ‘in the eye of the beholder’ and said he could not reject the proposals on those grounds.

Cinema campaigner Alastair Campbell, who spoke at the meeting against the application, said afterwards: “I am delighted.

“This is the only area in the town centre where a viable cinema can be housed and I hope for the good of the town that the owners reconsider their plans.

“I hope this latest rejection will make them more open to negotiation and send them a clear message that Harborough wants a cinema on this site and not more retirement flats.”

Alislane submitted similar plans in April and October 2006 but both proposals were thrown out due to councillors’ concerns over highways issues.

Mark Slatter, a director at the firm, said: “The last time we were refused we were persuaded by the planning officers to work with them to redesign the scheme rather than appeal.

“This time we will definitely be appealing the scheme as we have been given no substantive reasons why the current design is unacceptable.

“In all my 15 years of achieving planning permissions this one has been the most disappointing experiences of trying to work with planners and a planning committee.”

He added that Alislane would be preparing a third application with a ‘more modern design’ in case the appeal fails.

l What do you think? Email alex.blackwell@harboroughmail.co.uk