Salisbury Central Area Framework

Salisbury is a wonderful place to live, visit and work. However, the city centre faces challenges which threaten its vibrancy and the livelihoods of those that depend on it. This includes the impacts of climate change, flood risk, the effects of the 2018 nerve agent attacks, the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, changing shopping habits, and unaffordability of homes.

Wiltshire Council has produced the Salisbury Central Area Framework (CAF) which is an overarching strategy to help shape the future of the city centre and enable it to respond positively to these challenges. The CAF makes a series of recommendations to guide future developments, initiatives and policies for the city centre with the aim of bringing positive change to the city and making it an even more vibrant, attractive and sustainable place to live, work and visit. These recommendations will be taken forward by Wiltshire Council and its partner organisations.

Download the Salisbury Central Area Framework (PDF) [3MB] (opens new window)

Download the Salisbury Central Area Framework summary (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)

Public consultation on the CAF

Wiltshire Council sought views from the public on the priorities, proposed themes and objectives of the CAF in the summer of 2019, and this feedback was fed back into a revised version of the document. A further consultation on the revised CAF was carried out at the beginning of 2020, which fed into the final version that can be downloaded above.

You can find out about the consultation process and outcomes in the reports of the two stages of public consultation in the download area below.

Download the 2019 CAF Consultation Report (PDF) [5MB] (opens new window)

Download the 2020 CAF Consultation Report (PDF) [6MB] (opens new window)

CAF projects and initiatives

During the two public exhibitions which formed part of the consultation on the CAF at the beginning of 2020, Wiltshire Council presented a number of projects which were being planned to be taken forward by the Council and its partners. The section below sets out a summary of each of these projects, and this will be updated as and when the projects are developed further. There will be further engagement and consultation on these proposals as they are progressed. We would like to thank everyone who took the time to provide their comments.

Salisbury River Park

The Salisbury River Park is the centrepiece of the Salisbury Central Area Framework and is a collaborative project between Wiltshire Council and the Environment Agency to reduce flood risk to various areas in the city, to provide environmental improvements and opportunities for biodiversity, to improve leisure and recreation and to support the regeneration of the Maltings and Central Car Park area. It will be transformational and provide a lasting legacy for future generations.

The Salisbury River Park will deliver a green infrastructure link through the centre of the city, incorporating the rivers that run through The Maltings and Central Car Park at its core, extending to the Ashley Road/Fisherton Recreation Ground to the north, and towards Elizabeth Gardens to the south.

The outcomes being sought through the delivery of the Salisbury River Park are:

To reduce flood risk on the Maltings and Central Car Park site and enable strategically important redevelopment of the central car park.
To reduce flood risk to existing residents and businesses in central Salisbury and the Ashley Road area.
To improve and enhance the internationally designated habitat and ecology of the River Avon watercourse and its margins.
To create new and improved spaces for public enjoyment of the river and dwell time in the city centre, in line with the endorsed Masterplan for the Maltings and Central Car Park.
To build climate change resilience, in response to the climate emergency.

The council, with support from the Environment Agency, Salisbury City Council and the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Economic Partnership have prepared the Salisbury River Park Masterplan which sets out guiding principles for development of the Salisbury River Park to be delivered in phases over the coming years. After public consultation and subsequent amendments made, the Salisbury River Park Masterplan was endorsed by the council's Strategic Planning Committee on 14 July 2021. The Salisbury River Park Masterplan now forms a relevant material planning consideration to be taken into account when making decisions on planning applications on any proposals for the Salisbury River Park and the wider integrated zone. The endorsed Salisbury River Park Masterplan and its supporting Habitats Regulations Assessment can be downloaded below, along with a copy of the Consultation Report which summarises the process and outcomes from the earlier public consultation on the draft Masterplan.

Fisherton Street Gateway

This project forms part of Wiltshire Council's submission to central government under the Future High Streets Fund bid. If successful, this project will provide a new welcoming entrance to the city. Various interventions at key areas along Fisherton Street are proposed to help improve visitors' first impression of the area, make it far more people friendly and to help draw people into the city centre. The concept is based around independent traders and building on the vibrant and varied mix of arts, cultures and artisans who currently occupy the street.

CAF exhibition display about improvements to Fisherton Street (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)

Station Quarter

This project will transform the arrival experience at Salisbury's railway station, and links in with the proposals that are put forward for the Fisherton Street Gateway project. Various interventions will be proposed to improve quality of the public realm around the station, including an enhanced travel interchange, improved Stonehenge visitor experience, improved wayfinding, landscaping and car parking facilities. This project will be the subject of a Masterplan and is subject to a successful bid for funding.

CAF exhibition display about improvements to the Station Quarter (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)

People Friendly Streets

This is a project being led by Wiltshire Council's Highways team with the intention of improving walking and cycling routes in and out of the city centre to deliver on the CAF's 'people-friendly streets' theme. To find more out visit People Friendly Streets Salisbury

CAF exhibition display about defining a street hierarchy (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)

Illuminating Salisbury

The Illuminating Salisbury project will provide an outdoor visitor light attraction that will illuminate the stories of Salisbury's rich heritage. Through the development of the CAF, Wiltshire Council engaged with the local community about stories and experiences of Salisbury with a view to creating storyboards for the illumination show. This project is subject to a successful bid for funding.

Caf exhibition display about Illuminating Salisbury (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)

Public arts

As part of the inception of the CAF, public art consultants were appointed to advise on the commissioning of public art and lighting artists to create high quality public realm interventions in Fisherton Street. This project is subject to a successful bid for funding.

Wayfinding

As part of the inception of the CAF, Wayfinding consultants were appointed to deliver a Wayfinding Strategy which will inform the delivery of significant improvements to the signage infrastructure in the city, to support visitors' experience of moving through the city. This project is subject to a successful bid for funding.

CAF exhibition about public art and wayfinding (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window)

Heritage Trail app

Wiltshire Council are developing a Salisbury Heritage Trail app for a smart phone. It will be targeted towards tourists as well as local residents and those in outlying areas giving them more reasons to explore Salisbury's heritage, histories and mysteries.

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