CONCERNS over the cost of the upcoming People Friendly Salisbury scheme have been dismissed, with a city councillor saying it will be "invaluable for years to come".

It comes as documents show the total cost of the scheme will be £2,349,960.

Sven Hocking, city councillor for St. Martin’s and Cathedral, has praised the scheme.

Cllr Hocking said: “The People Friendly Streets scheme is ultimately about making the city centre a cleaner, greener, lighter, brighter, more visually appealing and relaxing environment for residents and visitors to enjoy.

“The high street was already in trouble due to the considerable increase in on-line shopping and the coronavirus outbreak has accelerated that trend, so to keep people coming into the City we need to make it look and feel as friendly and inviting as possible.

Salisbury Journal:

“Our city can either do nothing thus preside over a steady and relentless decline in the local economy, or, we can take matters into our own hands and do everything possible to improve and promote the city as an attractive destination venue for people and business.”

Salisbury MP John Glen added: “Wiltshire Council’s scheme has taken inspiration from other cities in which traffic reduction has resulted in increased footfall and a boost to the city centre economy.

“This is a trial to see whether Salisbury can reap similar benefits.

“I have always expressed caution around Salisbury’s topography and the availability of alternative routes but the potential rewards of a successful scheme are huge and surely warrant proper consideration.”

Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SWLEP) is contributing £1.3m towards the scheme, with the rest being contributed by Wiltshire Council integrated block funding and potentially the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Emergency Active Travel Fund (EATF).

A bid for this funding was submitted by Wiltshire Council on August 7.

The SWLEP-funded enhancements are subject to final tenders, so there may be some small changes to this figure.

The cost of the scheme is broken down into two phases, plus “complimentary measures”.

Phase one of the ETRO, which will start on October 21, will see physical measures such as the bus gates and enforcement implemented. This will cost a total of £561,565, which will come from SWLEP and the DfT.

Phase two, which is scheduled for Spring/Summer 2021 to early 2022, will cost £229,460.

The complimentary measures account for the remaining £1,558,935, which include making gateways permanent, publicly accessible cycle pumps, an eCycle hire scheme, and a refurbishment of Culver Street car park.

For more information, go to wiltshire.gov.uk/salisbury-people-friendly-streets.