What’s happening to plans for Maltings and Salisbury Library?

Plans for the redevelopment of the old British Heart Foundation building in Malthouse Lane are on hold.  Peter Dunbar, Chair of Salisbury Civic Society has written an open letter to the Salisbury Journal asking the question

WHAT’S HAPPENING TO PLANS FOR MALTINGS AND SALISBURY’S LIBRARY?

Demolition completed in December 2019 – nothing being started on the new building since – why??

Last year the Wiltshire Council Planning Authority gave the much needed approval for the redevelopment of the old British Heart Foundation building in Malthouse Lane so that the first phase of the Maltings redevelopment project would commence.

We were told that beneath the planned 85 Bedroom Travelodge Hotel there would be the new Library, re-located from Market Walk and that Wiltshire Council were to lease the library space from developer, investment fund Nuveen. But have the plans changed?  No Lease is in place and no development construction – so can we have an explanation from Wiltshire Council please?

This development is long overdue and would release the Market Walk site for a phase two and thereby enable a further regeneration and upgrade of the area and a better link between the Maltings precinct and Market Place.

Although on record as being “committed to delivering regeneration of the Maltings and Central Car Park which will transform Salisbury’s city centre economy” (Wiltshire Council submission to SWLEP Jan 2020) they have taken few actions towards achieving this beyond formulating a policy to buy out all other owners in the Maltings with £37million of borrowed funds and with interest presumably paid back by the Ratepayers. No information about our new Library home or its content has been forthcoming.

The citizens of Salisbury surely deserve better.

Peter Dunbar