End of the 40ft rule?

9:57am Thursday 20th March 2008

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A KEY issue in Salisbury city centre is the 40ft rule. This restricts the height of development to protect Cathedral views.

In a previous public consultation, 81 per cent of respondents supported it. The report says it has "played a major part in preserving the unique character of the city".

However, it goes on to talk of a "tension" with national and regional policy which "seeks to ensure that we make the best use of land when considering development".

It admits: "For sites within the city this does lead to pressure for building which may breach the 40ft limit."

It proposes to keep the rule but asks: "Should we update it in a way which ensures the treasured views of the Cathedral are protected, but in a manner which allows some flexibility in locations where it is unequivocally proven some increased height would have no negative impacts?"

This would come with "many safeguards" to ensure buildings "make a positive contribution to the city skyline and do not introduce inappropriate or out-of-scale development".