AN independent butchers fears it will need to relocate outside of Salisbury if its deliveries are hindered by a permanent road closure.

This comes after Wiltshire Council announced it was considering closing Queen Street to all vehicles, at all times.

Currently, the city centre road has some restrictions, but businesses like Pritchetts Family Butchers are able to use it in the morning for deliveries.

If the permanent closure was to go ahead in spring, Charles Aldridge, of Pritchetts, says it would “make a huge difference” to their business and how it operates.

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Receiving deliveries at around 4.30am for a 9am opening, Charles said: “If they take Queen Street away we’re looking at [deliveries coming to] New Canal, but when you’re carrying around 70 or 80kg of meat you don’t want to be that far away.

“Carrying these massive deliveries down the street you do get funny looks and comments, we’re just trying to do our job.

"What we carry, sometimes dripping blood, is the last thing people want to see in the morning.”

Charles added the produce has to be carried at shoulder height, so a short distance from delivery van to butchers is essential.

Delivery drivers “have already had enough of the walking back and fourth” to Queen Street, the nearest loading bay for the shop, Charles added.

He fears making drivers travel even further by foot will deter businesses working with the butchers in future.

He said: “I agree that some cars use this road as a rat run, but we just want to use it as a business, we need that access. We really want to stay here but this [closure] would make it so much harder.”

Receiving parking tickets and the health and safety of staff were other concerns raised by Charles, should New Canal become the new delivery spot for the business.

“We don’t want to look elsewhere but this feels like it is forcing us to move,” he added.

“It’s just making it harder and harder to trade. I hope common sense prevails.”

Dr Mark McClelland, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for transport, said “a number of responses” were received during the Queen Street closure consultation, which came to a close last month.

He said: “The comments that we have received are currently being considered and the consultation report has been drafted. We hope to have made a decision by the end of March.”

Salisbury Business Improvement District (BID), while supporting the ban, said access requirements for businesses needed to be considered.

The BID suggested bollards at either end of the street could be installed to support temporary loading.

Paul Sample, ward councillor for Salisbury St Edmund’s, added that a waiver granting loading access was needed for butchers, fish mongers and poulterers in the Butcher Row, Fish Row and Poultry Cross area.

He said: “It would be a great shame if, in 2022, a traffic order drove away the very trade that these streets were named for.”

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