TEN thousand pounds of Salisbury money will be spent replacing broken or missing street name signs in the city as Wiltshire Council budgets will not cover the cost.

The money was awarded by Salisbury Area Board during its meeting at City Hall on Thursday.

Cllr Matthew Dean said: “We are very conscious that in terms of city image, legibility, encouraging pedestrian movement across the city, encouraging visitors that we need to make sure the city is as accessible as possible. Having street name places is part of that.”

He told the meeting Cllr Hocking had used Community Area Transport Group (CATG) money for a number of signs which were currently in storage. A local contractor had been brought in to do the work.

Cllr Dean said: “This is the next stage of that programme where he now wants to fill all the gaps and have replacement signs made up and then erected of all the missing street name places across the city.”

Cllr Atiqul Hoque said it was a “fantastic initiative” but questioned if area board funds could be used.

And Cllr Brian Dalton said: “It is a lot of money, I do support it but I really do think Wiltshire Council needs a kick up the backside and say, ‘look you’re statutory bound to do this’.

“Why is Salisbury Area Board spending £10,000 of its money when Wiltshire Council across the board should be spending that £10,000?”

Chairman Derek Brown replied: “It was a concern. What you say is correct in many ways but it is clear if we don’t spend the money this won’t get done.”

And Cllr Dean added: “[At Wiltshire Council cabinet] they made it very clear this is not a priority, in fact it will not feature at all in their expenditure.

“The choice is us or nothing.”

Cllr Hoque said the the list of the street names chosen to be replaced should be "proportionate" between the wards and many in the list were in the St Martin's and Cathedral ward, adding: "It's a bit unfair, it should be divided among all the wards."

But Cllr Dean said the list was of current street name signs that had been reported by residents and ones the highways department were aware of that were missing. He said these are a list of ones that are ready to go.

Clltr John Walsh said that all councillors were asked to put names forward.