'Unsafe' underground toilets to reopen

The central Salisbury toilets have been closed since April

A block of underground city centre toilets that were closed in April after being labelled unsafe are set to reopen.

Salisbury City Council agreed to close the Market Place toilets, which have been plagued by arson attacks, sexual assaults and drug use, citing significant maintenance costs alongside the safety concerns.

Plans were submitted for replacement above ground toilets but these were subsequently withdrawn by the city council, before they were due to go before planners in April.

Proposals to reinstate the toilet block were put to councillors at a meeting on Monday, and a phased reopening, initially for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, was agreed, ahead of a refurbishment.

Matthew Hine, head of business operations at the authority, said the toilets should reopen for night use within the next couple of months.

They will also be in use during events and markets in the new year.

Mr Hine said they would then go under "further refurbishment, subject to approval, with a seven-day-a-week reopening".