Central Area Framework and Future High Streets Fund
The Salisbury Central Area Framework (CAF) project was borne out of the recovery work in the city following the nerve agent attack in March 2018, which had a profoundly damaging impact on the city centre economy.
The CAF was developed by Wiltshire Council to guide the future development of Salisbury’s city centre to address climate change, flood risk and congestion in the city. 4 Wiltshire council were aware that the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown and negative impact on the economic required that the plan to rejuvenate the city was required more than ever before.
The main issues and problems in the city centre which the CAF set out to address were high volumes of traffic in the city centre, concerns over air pollution and the quality of walking/cycling routes and the pedestrian environment.
The framework was developed through in-depth public consultation in 2019 and 2020, incorporating feedback from residents and stakeholders and the majority of responders supported the initiatives. 16 (check reference citation www.)
A public consultation was held over a six week period in 2020. The following responses were received from residents and stakeholders that were involved in the consultation.
| Aims of the CAF | % in Support | Delivered/not delivered since the CAF consultation |
| Developing a “street hierarchy” to prioritise streets and spaces for pedestrians and cyclists over cars | 84% | Delivered but removed in 2020 |
| Consolidating city centre car parking and improving park and ride | 63% | Not delivered |
| Improving the urban environment of Fisherton Street | 84% | Delivered 2025 |
| Enhancing the station area | 88% | Delivered 2025 |
| Delivering improved pedestrian and cycling wayfinding infrastructure | 86% | Not delivered |
| Delivering a river park | 91% | Delivered 2025 with incomplete cycleway provision |
The majority of respondents to the consultations favoured the prioritisation of pedestrians and cyclists in future initiatives for the central area.
A significant majority of the those that take in consultations agreed (to varying degrees) with the approach taken by Wiltshire council to develop a street hierarchy to prioritise streets and spaces for pedestrians and cyclists over cars.
These responses are typical of a number of consultations that have taken place by Wiltshire Council over many years.
Funding for a number of the projects was received from the Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) which was a central government programme aimed at renewing and reshaping town centres and high streets in a way that drives growth, improves the experience for everyone visiting the city centre and ensures a sustainable future.
In 2021 Wiltshire Council was awarded £9,355,731 to develop a range of projects in Salisbury.