Agenda and minutes

The Chairman, Councillor Ricky Rogers welcomed everyone to the special meeting of the Salisbury Area Board, which had been scheduled to receive an update on the Central Car Park and Maltings Development.

Apologies for absence had been received from:

·         John Glen – MP for Salisbury & South Wiltshire

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were none.

To receive a presentation on the outline proposals for the redevelopment of the Central Car Park and Maltings in Salisbury and to hear about how you can get involved in the formal consultation process that is likely to take place later in the year. 

Developers Stanhope will be present to provide information on the outline proposals and progress, answer questions and explain the next steps.

Director of Stanhope, Gary Bourne thanked the Area Board for holding the meeting, and thanked those in attendance for taking the time to come along to hear the presentation.

Gary explained that huge importance would be given to establishing the most solid foundation possible for the project. It would require time and a huge amount of effort, including ongoing dialogue with Wiltshire Council regarding a very wide range of issues, very detailed research about the needs of the local market, complex discussions with potential tenants, investigations into the conditions on-site and of course consultation with the local community. 

The Central Car Park and Maltings has long been designated as a site suitable for retail-led development and this designation was firmly established in local planning policy. The site was also one of the priority areas identified for sustainable regeneration by the Salisbury Vision. 

The proposed retail focus was captured in the South Wiltshire Core Strategy, which formed the basis on which developers were invited to tender and enter into a legal agreement with the Council to develop the site. 

Planning policy plays a critical role in shaping what should and should not be delivered on the site. For example, the principle that long-stay car parking is to be removed from the Central Car Park was established within Wiltshire Council’s Car Parking Strategy and had also been Council policy since the days of the former Salisbury District Council.

There would continue to be well over 500 short-term parking spaces on the site and Sainsbury’s car park would be kept in the phase one proposals, which cover the Central Car Park, but not The Maltings. The existing car park would be comprehensively upgraded and split over multiple levels.  The intention was to include a bus and coach interchange for drop-off and pick-up on the western edge of the site, which would be a valuable asset to the city’s tourist industry.

The current situation

Following the signing of the Development Agreement with the Council, Stanhope had been working hard behind the scenes.  The wide-ranging discussions with the Council, supported by monthly progress meetings, had covered very many aspects of the project, including the future of the library, which would inevitably have implications for the planning application. 

In the case of the library, Wiltshire Council was currently exploring the options for providing an improved facility.  Different options were currently being considered and assessed.  Following this, local people would be asked by the Council to comment on any proposals.  This important piece of work would need to be completed before proceeding, as the future location and form of the library would have implications for the development of the masterplan.

Gauging interest from the retail market was also an essential part of the process and discussions between Stanhope and prospective occupiers had been taking place. Understanding the needs of retailers and the local market was vital to the long-term success of the redevelopment and Stanhope had commissioned independent consultants to undertake detailed analysis to support this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending the presentation.