THE long-planned redevelopment of the Maltings will still happen "at some point in the future", the leader of Wiltshire Council has said. 

It comes after rumours on social media that the project had been quietly shelved. 

But Cllr Richard Clewer says this is not true - it just has to be at the right time. 

The redevelopment has been in the pipeline for many years, and has been delayed several times. 

The most recent delay came in October 2020 when it was announced that the funding for it had been reallocated to the River Park project. 

The Local Growth Fund grant that was to be used to deliver the library element is time limited and had to be spent last year. 

Richard Walters, Head of Service, Major Projects, said at the time that the plan still does remain to deliver improvements on Market Walk "in line with the original vision, but I think it is likely this is going to take a few more years to come to fruition".

He added: "It is important to stress that the hotel and library scheme is led privately by the developer, the council is planning on taking the library on on completion of the development, but the scheme is reliant on developers securing occupiers for the hotel and gym elements, on terms that made it viable."

Before the pandemic, £4m was to be spent on the library, with the remainder going towards the emerging river corridor scheme, now the river park scheme.

Cllr Clewer told the Journal: "The redevelopment of the Maltings will still happen at some point in the future, but we do not know when."

The site is allocated for development by Core Policy 21 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy.

It could be in a year, it could be in 18 months, it may even be longer than that - there are, cllr Clewer said, "too many unknowns". 

The project has not been helped by the coronavirus pandemic followed by the cost of living crisis. 

Salisbury River Park project: Everything you need to know

Cllr Clewer added that the River Park project has to come first. 

The River Park project has had its issues in recent weeks, with a sewage leak earlier this month delaying the scheme. 

An asbestos discovery has also caused further delays. 

Work will be carried out at Fisherton Recreation Ground, Ashley Road Open Space, Central Car Parking and land at the Maltings as part of the scheme. 

Cllr Clewer told the Journal back in March that the Maltings site was bought by UK real estate asset manager Catella APAM, and says the council, still landowners, is “looking forward to working with them”.

While plans for the site have not yet been finalised since the £15.5million purchase, Cllr Clewer said its future needs to “enhance the Salisbury offer”.