PEOPLE who live, work or shop in Salisbury are being urged to put forward their views on whether Brown Street car park should become a coach park.

The Salisbury Vision team looking at access to the city believes this is the most sensible location for coaches to drop off passengers in future, encouraging visitors to linger for longer in shops and cafés.

The idea is that the drivers will then head off to Britford park and ride to wait until it is time to pick up again.

The team says there is plenty of spare space in Culver Street to take cars displaced from Brown Street.

It is asking Wiltshire Council to keep Culver Street open all evening, with free parking there after 3pm.

Millstream Approach coach park is destined to disappear under the Maltings and central car park redevelopment plans.

And the Vision group’s chairman Ian Newman says it is vital anyway to get extra coach parking sorted out before next summer’s Magna Carta celebrations, which are expected to attract big crowds.

He said cathedral representatives, tour guides and the coach operators’ body CPT are all happy with the proposal.

“We are not saying it is set in stone, but we are asking Wiltshire to give us the opportunity to trial it and see whether it works,” he said.

“It would be an ideal spot from the retailers’ point of view.

“We are trying to get the best balance for many different people and organisations.

“We don’t think we have got all the answers, but this is an honest attempt to do something about the situation.”

The proposals have gone to Wiltshire Council’s deputy leader John Thomson, whose responsibilities include highways.

A technical assessment will be carried out, and there would have to be a further public consultation on a traffic regulation order to change the use of the car park.

In the meantime, to have your say write to Ian Newman at Salisbury Vision Board and BID Access, 74 Fisherton Street, Salisbury SP2 7RB.