Salisbury is in the middle of extensive changes. The central area is having an extreme makeover. I hope it's value for money. Fisherton Street is coming on nicely with good pavements. It means more use of other fairly busy roads during the installation, but I think it is worth it.

Looking back over the years, the Council has done some good things. Take the leisure centre for example. I remember, during the war, the site was a swamp come flood plain which was submerged each winter and frozen. Nice for children to play on. After the war, it was used as a landfill site. That was left for a few years to settle and then the leisure centre was built on top. A decent no-nonsense practical building. It was landscaped with grass, shrubs, trees and small hills, even wild patches and a small wood containing willows and other wet-loving plants. An outstanding job, top marks.

The next good job was using granite setts to re-surface the market square and make it car-free. Initially, they were slippery but they soon weathered nicely losing their slipperiness. Our marketplace is large, with a marvellous selection of good businesses, hardly any shuttered up. The different styles of architecture are astonishing, ranging from medieval to featureless post-war, a joy to behold. Some years ago the Council decided to improve the second block along Winchester Street, where I live. The pavements were widened and levelled, the kerbstones were replaced with chamfered bricks. Two parking bays were constructed, one for loading and another for short-stay parking. It works well.

The first block in Winchester Street is a different story. It is without doubt the busiest road in Salisbury. The southern pavement is very narrow, barely wide enough for two abreast. It narrows down opposite MacDonalds where you have to breathe in when passing and many people step into the road. It is perilous for wheelchairs. Since I started using a buggy, you realise the dire state of many of our pavements. At least riding instead of walking you are saved from tripping over and falling flat on your face!

The river Avon comes into the picture. It was far from ornamental, it was industrial, but that is another story.

John Watts

Winchester Street

Salisbury

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