PUBLIC toilets in Salisbury could reopen after more than a year of closure under new plans agreed by Wiltshire Council.

The facilities at Central Car Park have been shut since March 2024, when Salisbury City Council chose not to renew its lease and handed the site back.

Now, in a move likely to be welcomed by many residents and visitors, Wiltshire Council has agreed to make the freehold of the public conveniences available to the city council; a step that could allow them to reopen and be maintained for public use.

The decision was approved at a cabinet meeting on April 29, where the site was declared surplus and cleared for potential transfer.

However, the move is not yet final.

Salisbury City Council must still formally approve the transfer through its own decision-making process.

If agreed, the site would be transferred at no cost, in line with similar arrangements elsewhere in the county.

The deal would also include a “reverter clause”, meaning Wiltshire Council could take back control of the land if it is needed for any future redevelopment of the wider area, including the Central Car Park, River Park or Maltings.

There have long been ambitions to regenerate this part of the city, although no major scheme has yet come forward.

Wiltshire Council cabinet member for economic development, regeneration and assets Cllr Helen Belcher said: “We have listened to the local community, and this proposed transfer is a practical example of how we can work together with our city, town and parish councils to deliver real benefits.

“Reopening the Central Car Park toilets will make a difference for residents and visitors to Salisbury, while the reverter clause ensures we continue to protect the long term regeneration potential of this important site should anything come to fruition.”

The proposal forms part of wider efforts to work more closely with local councils while maintaining key community services.