THE row over plans to move Salisbury’s information centre continue, with a vote next tonight set to decide if the council can have the £35,000 needed for the relocation.

The city council’s finance and governance committee will meet at the Guildhall this evening.

It is tasked with deciding whether to grant £35,000 for the merging and relocation of Salisbury information centre with the existing Shopmobility unit in the Maltings.

Council leader Matthew Dean previously assured residents a tourist-facing function would remain at the front of the Guildhall, for visitors to the city centre.

But in a letter to the Journal, Labour Leader Mike Osment said he was “very concerned at this difficult time for the city that the Conservative-led council is planning to move our well positioned information centre to a much less visual site in the underground part of the Maltings car park”.

Cllr Osment said everyone he speaks to “is anxious” about the decision and that he thinks Cllr Dean “has also realised the weakness of his case”.

“He is now talking about have a strong presence at the front of the Guildhall, which will largely destroy the supposed financial savings his plan originally envisaged,” he added.

Nearly 5,000 residents have so far signed a petition calling for the move to be cancelled.

Cllr Osment added: “One cannot have a more eloquent testimony as to the unpopularity of this plan.

“I call upon the Conservative councillors to cancel or at least delay this move for a year, until the city economy has recovered from the recent body blows it has sustained and we have a clearer idea where the Maltings development is going.”

But Cllr Dean said he was “very surprised” by the comments as “he [Cllr Osment] previously had told me that he would be very happy to see the rear of the Guildhall to be used for office accommodation” for the city council.

“Mike realises that the front of the building would make a far better venue to greet our tourist visitors and that we need to invest in our Shopmobility service and our back office functions at the Maltings,” Cllr Dean added.

“It’s unfortunate that he’s now trying to make political capital when he previously had an entirely sensible personal position.”