A TEN-year-old girl has been one of the driving forces in making Salisbury a greener city, as city councillors voted to approve the installation of water fountains in the market square.

Rosie Price and her father Dominic, of conservation charity The Species Recovery Trust, pitched the idea to the council on Monday night, alongside an official motion from their ward councillors, Amanda Foster, Atiqul Hoque and Liz Sirman.

The pair raised concerns about the impact plastic bottles have on the environment and people's health, and hope installing fountains will reduce waste and litter and encourage people to drink more water and save money.

The proposed fountain costs between £1,500 and £3,300 and some of the cost may be covered by crowdfunding, asking residents to contribute what they would usually spend on a couple of bottles of water.

Dominic told councillors: "By now most of us are aware of the catastrophic impacts single use plastics are having on the planet, and for a lot of people seeing the heart-breaking images on Blue Planet brought home just what a global tragedy this is.

"The issue is escalating in Salisbury as we are lucky to be visited by thousands of tourists each year, and we are offering very limited facilities for grabbing a quick drink of water in an eco-friendly way."

Cllr Hoque said the fountains would be a "legacy we can leave that we can all be proud of", and said the aim would be to install three fountains in the city in coming months.

Some councillors raised concerns, including John Farquhar, who said it was a "wonderful idea" but questioned the cost of the fountains as well as maintenance and cleaning.

"I would encourage councillors to draw a breath before we consider this idea," he added.

But Cllr Hoque said environmental officers from the council had explored alternative options and the one proposed was the most suitable.

And Kevin Daley said more education for locals was needed, and pointed out that licensed premises are obliged to provide free water when asked.

"There are nine premises in the square, including the Guildhall," he added, and asked if this would be a "cheaper alternative".

But the council voted unanimously to allow the installation of water fountains within the city centre.

Plans will soon be put in place to order the fountains and get them up and running.