A river park could be just what Salisbury needs

EXPERIENCE has taught us to beware of Wiltshire Council bearing gifts.

But I hope that simple prejudice on the part of a jaundiced public doesn’t scupper their plan for a river park running from the Fisherton Recreation Ground to the city centre.

I believe the Environment Agency experts who say it would help protect us from flooding.

I believe that the improvements to the river channel would make it navigable for the fishy population, while the ‘mini floodplain’ extending some 20 metres to either side would give us a lovely wildlife-friendly ‘green lung’ and recreational space in the city centre and ensure that any future Maltings redevelopment isn’t just a concrete desert.

I believe that rewilding the area of Fisherton Rec nearest the river would encourage biodiversity.

I believe that a refurbed coach park with better facilities would give tourists a decent welcome at long last.

I believe, personally, that the permanent loss of 154 long-stay parking spaces on that miserable Godforsaken central car park is an acceptable price to pay to pretty up this crucial entrance to our city.

BUT: 

I can’t see how we can do this as well as losing Salt Lane and Brown Street car parks to redevelopment, which is what the council’s suggesting elsewhere. 

Or without replacing those spaces with a multi-storey on part of the Maltings/central car park site which must still manage to respect the 40ft rule. And that can’t be guaranteed at the moment.

Or without understanding what exactly Network Rail is going to do to provide more long-stay parking at the station.

One glaring omission in last night’s otherwise very worthwhile online presentation about the river park project was any plan for replacement parking. And I suppose that’s the trouble with tackling such a major redevelopment project in phases, which is all the authorities can afford.

Plus, of course, they’d be chuffed if more motorists diverted to the underused park and ride sites.

So this is where Wiltshire Council could well suffer from the mistrust it has engendered in the population of Salisbury with its previous high-handedness.

I don’t have space to go into much more detail here. But I would encourage everyone to investigate this project for themselves, and weigh up the pros and cons, bearing in mind that there is currently no alternative scheme on offer.

There is another free presentation coming up on December 15 at 2pm, which you can book into via the Eventbrite website with this link: www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/wiltshire-council-and-the-environment-agency-31617204961

And there’s masses of very useful info and illustrations here, including how to take part in the public consultation: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/salisbury-future.