CITY councillors have voted in favour of supporting plans to convert an underground bunker into a youth music and education centre.

The plans for the communications bunker in woods near Old Blandford Road, Harnham, are set to be decided by Wiltshire councillors at the Southern Area Planning Committee over the next couple of months.

Providing their comments as part of the application consultation process, seven Salisbury city councillors at the planning and transportation committee meeting on Monday night supported the plans with three abstaining.

Concerns were raised over fire safety issues, wildlife, light pollution and noise levels affecting local residents.

Cllr John Collier, who represents Harnham but is not on the committee, spoke against the application while Bemerton ward councillor Michael Osment spoke in favour of it.

The plans caused some heated exchanges between councillors and those attending the meeting in support of the plans.

Ross Sanderson, co-founder of the company behind the scheme, The Sound Emporium (TSE), said it had spent more than £5k on commissioning independent surveys from ecology to archaeology, said: "All I'm hearing from councillors is it's unsuitable but why? I'm not hearing any evidence or seeing any specifics.

"I did everything we were supposed to do and even spent six months looking for alternative buildings.

"This is an ideal location - it's an underground bunker - there is no building better on size, structure or location. And, if you look on Google maps, it's the same distance walk minus two minutes from the centre of town to Grosvenor House as it is to the Harnham bunker."

Cllr Penny Brown said: "I think the idea is a fantastic one. TSE is a great service, especially for musicians.

"But for me, as a responsible person representing the constituents whose children may use the facility, I'm afraid I cannot give my support solely based on the safety aspect.

"I cannot support putting youngsters in that sort of building."

Committee chairman John Lindley added: "I have spent most of my working career in an engineering environment and this place scares the living day lights out of me.

"I think it's a very bad site for this."

Cllr Osment said he believed the impact on the area would be minimal and that the TSE was prepared to listen to local residents.

He said: "Young people have had enough hits - let's do something positive for the people of Salisbury."

TSE says the bunker will offer music instrument tuition, a free instrument loan service, after school clubs and holiday workshops, a recording studio, rehearsal rooms and a youth radio station.

It also says it will provide alternative provision schooling to students identified as struggling to thrive in mainstream education environments.

Wiltshire Council plans to sell The Sound Emporium's current headquarters, Hendrix House, formerly Grosvenor House, in Churchfields Road, and the service needs a new home.

The planning application is number 15/10290/FUL and the consultation runs until December 7.