The council is planning to close a city centre street to vehicles in the spring, but responses to the idea have been mixed.

Wiltshire Council announced this week that it plans to close Queen Street, Salisbury to cars.

The plan is not popular with everyone, with one business saying it will "massively" impact collections and deliveries to their address.

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However, one Conservative Councillor has said that this "should have been done years ago", to make it safer for pedestrians using the street, which is adjacent to Guildhall Square.

Cllr Sven Hocking, Conservative for Salisbury Harnham East, said it is a “fantastic idea” and “should have been done years ago”, especially as the street is closed for half the year for events.

“We will not need Traffic Regulation Orders to close the street when we need to close it, so it will save a lot of money,” he said.

“I think the people who will be the most upset will be bus and taxi drivers, but in my opinion they can just go around the block. It’s not miles out of the way.

“It will allow the restaurants to trade more on the pavement, allow their customers to sit outside, and the people serving them to cross the street without fearing they will be run over.”

The road is currently closed every day from 10am to 4pm, and is regularly unavailable for longer periods due to events being held in the square.

If approved, the closure would mean that buses, taxis and vehicles loading or unloading would be prohibited on Queen Street at all times, leaving the road clear for pedestrians and cyclists, as the road is part of the Route 45 of the National Cycle Network.

Cllr Dr Mark McClelland, Cabinet Member for Transport, said that as the street is already closed to vehicles during the day and for events, the closure would be an “extension” of the existing situation.

“The closure would enable pedestrians to walk freely and safely along the road, as an extension of the Guildhall Square, while also maintaining a through route for cyclists as part of the National Cycle Network.

“We’ve already discussed the proposals with Salisbury City Council, but would encourage anyone who has any comments on the plans to have their say through the Traffic Regulation Order process, which will begin on January 20 and last for three weeks.

“If approved, Queen Street would be permanently closed to traffic from spring 2022.”

The plan is subject to public consultation, which will open from January 20 until February 14, at wiltshire.gov.uk/troconsultations 

Once responses have been reviewed, any permanent closure of the road would begin in spring 2022.

The council encourages anyone who has any comments on the plans to have their say through the Traffic Regulation Order process.

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