TIME was well and truly called on a vacant city pub when councillors approved plans to turn it into flats.

Bacchus, formerly the Wilton, at No 7 Wilton Road had reopened twice in recent years but a lack of demand led to its closure last summer.

Mr D Slade, of Bentley Slade Ltd, wanted to turn the pub and the flats above it into four new properties, plans that were previously supported by Salisbury City Council.

The developer said: “The property is in need of major works and would need a large amount of money invested to bring it back into use as a bar.”

A Wiltshire Council planning officer had said that there was no rational idea for the building to remain as a pub, with car parking the main issue.

This point was opposed by several councillors at a meeting of the Southern Area Planning Committee.

Cllr Ian Tomes was the first to object to any development. He said: “The parking is a huge problem, with delivery lorries often parking in the road, and I do not think it is acceptable to approve this and have no parking, it is madness.”

Cllrs Brian Dalton and Ian McLennan agreed that with yet another pub closure, one more British tradition would be lost in Salisbury.

Cllr McLennan spoke of his issue with the loss of the pub, and the "ridiculous” rents forcing many public houses into closure.

But Cllr Fred Westmoreland, while expressing sympathy for the decline of the pub industry, stressed the need for the building to be redeveloped.

He said: “Times have changed and one of the reasons for the pub’s demise is because of its location. This is a good way of renovating an attractive building.”

Ward councillor Richard Clewer called in the application over concerns of the car park provisioning and the impact of the building’s development on the surrounding area.

A motion by Cllr Clewer to reject the application failed, leading to Cllr Westmoreland to propose a motion of approval that was carried.