QUESTIONS were raised over the future of the hotel and library plans for the redevelopment Maltings after they were thrown out by planning chiefs.

The revised plans for the former British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Original Factory Shop block were refused by Wiltshire Council’s Strategic Planning Committee last month.

During a meeting of Salisbury Area Board last Thursday, Councillor Matthew Dean asked what the next step was in terms of the plans whether the decision would be appealed or if the proposals would be redesigned.

Richard Walters, the council’s head of service for major projects, said: “The proposal was coming forward from developer Nuveen and the council is clearly engaging with them.

“The reason for refusal was specifically around design and so design is something they will be looking at very closely in bringing forward fresh proposals for the site. We have been in discussions with them and the relevant officers to explore what the reasons of refusal mean and how they need to respond to those in coming forward with fresh proposals, which is really a matter for them.”

Mr Walters told the meeting that the masterplan for the Maltings had been unanimously supported by the planning committee, which he said was an “important milestone in the economic regeneration of this area” and the endorsed document would now be used for future proposals coming forward.

The Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SWLEP) has allocated £6.1million of funding for the Maltings development, which has to be spent by 2021.

Councillor Brian Dalton asked why the council were not lobbying the MP to retain it and keep it in “perpetuity” until it is spent.

He said: “We did have an incident here last year which delayed the Maltings development by up to a year. That is not our fault. The MP should be lobbying for that.”

Councillor Pauline Church, cabinet member for economic development and south Wiltshire recovery, said: “Of course we are doing lots of lobbying.

“In terms of that £6.1million remaining in Salisbury it is very important that it does. It is not necessarily something for John Glen to do.

“What we will be doing is talking to the LEP in terms of this set back, how we can retain this £6.1 million because there is no doubt that the result of this planning application has resulted in some risk in terms of that funding being retained into this city.

“What we need to do is make sure it stays in the city with perhaps other projects that could be delivered by March 2021.”

During the meeting concerns were also raised over the future location of the Young Gallery by Councillor John Walsh who was told by Cllr Church that a cultural strategy was being done and which would “hopefully shed more light” later on in the year about a proposed location.