THE changes to the city council's security contract have been heavily criticised by the Conservative Group. 

The current contract with Venture Security concluded on March 31.

This was a three-year contract, providing a seven day a week service, with one officer on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and two officers on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. 

The new contract, which started on April 1, is a one year extension which provides one officer from Tuesday to Sunday, and is valued at approximately £40,000. 

Salisbury City Council pays £30,000 of this, with Salisbury BID making up the rest. 

The security officers are fully licensed and trained to deal with conflict. They have also been trained in mental health first aid and have access to a list of support organisations.

Sven Hocking, councillor for Harnham East and deputy leader of Salisbury's Conservative group, has slammed the changes, saying the cut backs have resulted in rough sleepers returning to the Culver Street and Central car parks, as well as a "stark increase in street drinking and related antisocial behaviour, evidenced by recent public posts on social media by Salisbury Police".

Cllr Hocking added: "Short sightedness and an ideological opposition from the current Lib/Lab/Indy Administration has resulted in the present situation which will only get worse with the onset of Summer.  

"I am sure we will hear the usual bleating… “Waagh Waagh, It’s the Tories, it’s the Tories…” but it’s frankly high time the Leaders of this City started to take responsibility for their actions and do something about those issues which had been dealt with for years, but through their own deliberate interventions are now returning to haunt us all."

Cllr Victoria Charleston, one of the council leaders, defended the decision and said the administration is committed to supporting the city to be green and lively, where resident’s voices are heard, their wellbeing improved, and sustainability is at the heart of all decision making.

Cllr Charleston told the Journal: "Our focus is on ensuring our parks, green spaces, and streets are clean and welcoming for all, that our events are enjoyable for all residents and that we are leaders when it comes to action on the climate crisis.

"Security of our city is a matter for policing. We have raised this with the Police and Crime Commissioner on several occasions and welcome the promise of extra officers for Salisbury."

Cllr Charleston added that "it is of utmost importance" to the administration that it balances careful management of the city’s finances against resident concerns. 

"This is why we continue to work with partners across the City through our Venture officers, our investment into CCTV, and our participation in the Managing the City Pillar of the Place Partnership Board, which is concerned with safety in city to ensure a cohesive response to public safety concerns", she said.