A REVITALISED cultural centre for Salisbury could be one of the benefits of redeveloping the Maltings and Central Car Park, say planners.

Consultants are investigating the possibility of revamping the area around the Playhouse, with a refurbished or replaced City Hall and, if Wiltshire County Council agrees, a bigger library.

Property and planning consultants Alder King have been appointed to carry out the study.

The area is highlighted in the Salisbury Vision as a potential major retail development incorporating restaurants, cafes, housing, offices and parking as well as new public and green spaces and an enhanced riverside.

But it is the shopping element that is crucial.

The Maltings, developed in the 1980s, has never been a success. Sainsbury's is at a disadvantage because it is on the first floor, making access difficult, and the store is small by today's standards.

Vision project director Graham Gould said: "This is very much a retail-led scheme to provide the sorts of premises that we know modern retailers need if they are going to open a store, and that Salisbury has been unable to provide, largely because of our heritage buildings.

"This is the only site in the city where a new development of this type could be constructed properly."

Mr Gould said a number of major retailers want to come to Salisbury.

However, the consultants have been told they must bear in mind how this could affect existing businesses.

"It would be folly if we were to build shops that would take away trade from the rest of the city centre," he said.

"Any development must improve links between the area and the existing centre, so we are providing more shopping rather than replacement shopping.

"We need to bring in a major new store - a quality national department store that will anchor the whole project and attract a number of smaller modern retailers."

Parking will be a key issue, and the district council is mindful of the furore created by previous proposals to build a multi-storey in the area. "But stores are going to want sufficient parking on site," Mr Gould acknowledged.

Charles Russell-Smith, a partner at Alder King said: "We know that one of the greatest concerns regarding this project for people in Salisbury is parking and traffic flow, and this will be thoroughly investigated. A key objective for this redevelopment is to ensure that appropriate levels of parking are retained on site."

Cllr Peter Edge, portfolio holder for economic development and chairman of the Vision steering group, said: "Competition is increasing, and if we fail to provide the shops and facilities that people need, then they will increasingly travel out of the area to do their shopping."

The consultants' report is due at the end of May.