WHEN in a hole, stop digging. That’s the conventional wisdom.

But thousands of Salisbury folk will be hoping that the opposite applies in the case of the seemingly interminable Fisherton Street ‘improvements’.

‘Hurry up and get on with it’ would be more like it.

Salisbury Journal: Annie Riddle

My heart goes out to all the businesses whose trade continues to suffer, not least the little Rocketship Bookshop, which is struggling under the added disadvantage of being virtually buried under the scaffolding and netting required for the unfortunately timed Wetherspoons refurbishment programme.

At least Wiltshire traffic wardens have now taken action to stop the cheeky builders’ parking that was blocking any view of their shop front for weeks.

I must admit when I first saw that row of neatly coned-off vehicles I assumed that it was there with the blessing of officialdom. How wrong can you be? Never take things at face value – that’s something you’d think I should have learned from a lifetime in journalism.

All sorts of problems have surfaced (literally) further up the street with utility pipes lurking in hitherto unsuspected places, necessitating much scratching of heads and resorting to Plan B.

Maddening for all concerned, but unaccustomed as I am to sympathising with the leadership of Wiltshire Council, we can’t blame them for that.

The million-dollar question is, what CAN be done about it all?

At the moment all that’s on offer is a PR campaign telling people the traders are open for business and pushing the Park and Ride.

But I think it’s time to utter the dreaded C word – compensation. Cash for businesses that can provide evidence of reduced takings. I’m pretty sure Trowbridge would need a little extra help from on high to fund it, but perhaps our MP could intervene?

It’s not hard to understand the general fed-upness around town at the moment.

Constant roadworks, diversions, the chaos that is the Central Car Park, potholes opening up (or should that be down?) faster than the repair gangs can fill them, and of course none of these have been helped by the drip, drip of gloom from our record-breaking wet weather.

I see now that the saturated ground has prevented the River Park team completing all of its planned tree planting on schedule, and they’re having to order in a new batch of saplings for the autumn.

But at least there’s a silver lining for some local charities, which have been given the currently unplantable ones.

Annie Riddle

Independent city councillor, Harnham West