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Agenda item

Salisbury Central Area Framework

Minutes:

The Committee received a presentation from David Milton, Major Projects and Spatial Planning Manager on the Salisbury Central Area Framework.

 

The Central Area Framework (CAF) was initially in response to the Novichok incident in Salisbury in 2018. The report would update the committee on the outcome of the recovery process and subsequent consultations which helped to shape the CAF. The CAF was designed to be more rigorous, realistic and pragmatic than previous Salisbury visions and based on more credible economic testing of scenarios.

 

Covid had accelerated trends that the CAF had identified, for example the shift to online shopping, therefore the need to improve the offer of town centres was clear, to make a visit to the town centre a unique visitor experience. Key themes were identified as:

 

·       Creating people friendly streets

·       Improving open space and the environment

·       Creating vibrancy

·       Bringing out the qualities

·       Identifying character areas and their roles in the city

 

Two stages of very robust public consultation had been undertaken in 2019 and 2020 as detailed in the report. A future highstreets bid was in to revamp the station approach. Match funding had been obtained from the LEP. Many costed strategies were in place and were ready to roll out when funding could be identified and obtained. The document had been produced in accordance with Wiltshire Council land use planning protocols. It was hoped the committee would endorse the document.

 

In response to councillors technical questions it was stated that it was a fairly common practise for Wiltshire Council to produce such master plans and recommend that they are endorsed and taken account of as a material consideration when considering planning applications, for example the document produced regarding housing for Army rebasing and the plan for the central Maltings. It was hoped that elements could be added to any new local plan so that there would be more weight behind the plans and policies. Regarding the lower public support for centralising car parking and increasing park and ride it was felt this was often due to residents using the car parks overnight, so rigorous consultation would be needed and alternatives provided.

 

No members of the public had registered to speak.

 

Cllr Brian Dalton, representative of Salisbury Harnham was given the opportunity to speak, stating that this had been consulted on at Salisbury Area Board on several occasions. Cllr Dalton wished to advise the committee regarding the people friendly streets scheme that was soon to be introduced in Salisbury. The scheme had been amended by Wiltshire Council as a result of public feedback. Cllr Dalton was concerned regarding the timing of this as schools would be going back, major roadworks were to be completed on the A338 and the new scheme implemented. He felt that public opinion on this project was split.

 

In response the officer stated that the scheme soon to be implemented in Salisbury was completely separate to the CAF. That was in response to government funding provided to respond to the Covid crisis.

 

The Chair then proposed a motion that the Salisbury Central Area Framework, as presented, and subject to any other minor alterations required to improve its clarity, was:

 

·       Recognised as an evidence-based document to inform the Local Plan Review, emerging Salisbury Neighbourhood Plan and future planning guidance; and

·       Endorsed as a material consideration in the making of planning decisions.

 

This was seconded by Cllr Newbury.

 

A debate followed where comments included that there were real worries regarding the effects of reducing car usage in city centres as the old and vulnerable needed their cars. Others felt that this was a strategic document and design guide, the details would occur in individual applications that came to committee and could be debated at the point, but the CAF in general was worth endorsing. Some felt that town centres were changing and had to adapt. The committee commended officers on the hard work taken to produce the documents for the CAF.

 

At the conclusion of debate each Member was asked in turn to confirm that they had been able to hear and where possible see all relevant materials and to indicate their vote.

 

When each Member had voted, the Democratic Services Officer announced the decision as follows:

 

Resolved:

 

That the Salisbury Central Area Framework, as attached at Appendix A, and subject to any other minor alterations required to improve its clarity, was:

·       Recognised as an evidence-based document to inform the Local Plan Review, emerging Salisbury Neighbourhood Plan and future planning guidance; and

·       Endorsed as a material consideration in the making of planning decisions.

 

Supporting documents: