17 NEW houses can now be built near the River Avon in Salisbury after plans were approved.

Plans put together by Atlas Planning Group on behalf of Grosvenor Riverside Ltd were initially submitted back in 2023 that sought to change the use of the former children’s centre Riverside House on Churchfields Road to create three new town houses.

14 other houses were also proposed for an adjacent piece of land called ‘the Sling’.

The three-storey Victorian building Riverside House has been vacant since 2017 and the applicant said the development would provide “much needed” homes in the city centre and would breathe new life into the empty building.

The plans were given the green light by Wiltshire Council this week.

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The proposed site plan Picture: Radley House Partnership

“The proposed density and indicative layout of the scheme is broadly in keeping with the established character and layout of the area and would bring vacant and underused land back into use,” the decision notice read.

“Given the relatively spacious layout and sympathetic design, the development is unlikely to cause unacceptable harm to existing neighbouring amenities and may reduce the likelihood of antisocial behaviour on the vacant site adjacent to the industrial estate, whilst improving its appearance to the benefit of the area.”

The existing Riverside site Picture: Atlas Planning Group

It added that it had been “suitable demonstrated” that the houses would not be a flood risk.

The developer said it would be impractical to share access to the site with Nadder Terrace so it proposed to create a pedestrian friendly access road to provide a separate access point from Churchfields Road.

The Sling Picture: Atlas Planning Group

But not everyone was on board with the plans when they were first revealed. Salisbury City Council previously raised issue with the loss of car parking for existing residents of Nadder Terrace, and light pollution on the river bank from the properties closest to the river bank.

To view the decision notice and planning conditions, visit the planning section of Wiltshire Council’s website and search reference PL/2023/08557.

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