The Southern Area Planning Committee was scheduled to meet to discuss planning appeals and a planning application for alterations to The Cathedral Hotel in Salisbury. The committee was also expected to receive updates on planning appeals and consider any urgent items.

Planning Application: The Cathedral Hotel, Salisbury

The committee was scheduled to discuss an application, referenced PL/2024/09449 (FUL) & PL/2024/09842 (LBC), for The Cathedral Hotel, 7-9 Milford Street, Salisbury, SP1 2AJ. Larasian Limited, the applicant, was seeking permission for extensions, as well as internal and external alterations, to the Grade II Listed hotel. The proposal included diversifying the existing class C1 hotel use¹ by redeveloping the 22-bedroom hotel into a 13-suite, 5-star, luxury hotel with a bar, restaurant, courtyard garden, and rooftop terrace bar.

The report pack noted several issues for consideration:

• Principle of development
• Impact of the works to the character and appearance of the area and significance of the designated Conservation Area/Listed Buildings/settings/historic fabric
• Archaeology impacts
• Amenity considerations
• Flooding and drainage
• Highway considerations
• Ecological impact, including the River Avon Special Area for Conservation (SAC)², nutrient neutrality³, and the New Forest Special Protection Area (SPA)⁴

The application site is within the defined settlement boundary of Salisbury and the Salisbury Central Area, and is also within the Secondary Shopping Area in Milford Street. The Cathedral Hotel is Grade II listed, and the site is within the historic medieval Chequers area of the Salisbury Conservation Area, and within the setting of several listed buildings. The site is located within Flood Zones 2 and 3, and is also identified as being at risk of groundwater flooding in the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment. The site is within the catchment of the River Avon SAC, and within the New Forest 13.8km internationally protected sites zone of influence.

Up until the closure of the building in July 2022, the existing hotel provided 22 bedrooms, each accommodating 2 people, along with an ancillary restaurant and bar area at ground floor. In previous years, the bar and restaurant also provided a night club style arrangement which resulted in the hotel operating into the very early hours of the morning.

Relevant planning history for the site includes a number of applications for signage, alterations and extensions, including:

• S/2010/1625: Listed building consent to install a non-illuminated blue enamelled circular commemorative plaque on the wall facing Milford Street.
• S/2009/0292: Listed building consent for external decorative scheme and new signage.
• S/2006/2168: Listed building consent application: redecoration and installation of signage to front elevation
• S/2006/1343: Listed building consent application: Internal alterations to ground floor and part first and second floors. Refurbishment and redecoration of all floors
• S/1999/1035: Full planning permission application: Rear conservatory extension
• S/1998/1468: Full planning permission application: Ground & first floors to class A3 (food & drink). Alterations to shop front & rear elevation to accommodate two fire escapes & hoist. Creation of terrace gardens & realignment of eastern boundary wall.

The proposal seeks planning permission and listed building consent for extensions and internal and external alterations to the Grade II Listed Hotel including diversification of the existing Class C1 hotel use involving redevelopment of the existing 22-bedroom hotel into a 13 suite 5-star, luxury hotel with bar, restaurant, courtyard garden and rooftop terrace bar

The report pack also listed local and national planning policies relevant to the application, including:

• Sections 16/66/72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• National Planning Policy Framework
• Salisbury neighbourhood plan
• Wiltshire Core Strategy
• Saved Salisbury District Local Plan policies
• Wiltshire Local Transport Plan 2015-2026
• Salisbury Central Area Framework (CAF) Adopted 2020
• Salisbury Conservation Area Appraisal
• Salisbury Neighbourhood Development Plan 2020 – 2038 (adopted February 2025)
• Emerging Local Plan

A summary of consultation responses included:

• Salisbury City Council: No comment
• WC Highways: No objection
• WC Drainage: Support subject to conditions
• WC Economic Development: Support
• WC Ecology: Objection based on the lack of a phosphate burdens calculation and proposed mitigation strategy.
• WC Public Protection: No objection subject to conditions
• WC Archaeology: No objection subject to conditions
• Historic England: Objection on heritage grounds
• WC Conservation: Objection
• Salisbury Chamber of Commerce: Support
• Salisbury Conservation Advisory Panel: No objection
• Salisbury Civic Society: No objection

The publicity generated seven letters of support and one letter of objection.

The report pack included a detailed planning considerations section, which assessed the proposal against relevant planning policies and guidance. The key issues identified were the impact of the proposed rooftop bar on the character and appearance of the area, and the significance of the designated Conservation Area/Listed Buildings/settings/historic fabric.

The report concluded that the proposed rooftop bar/terrace would impede and compromise views of both the skyline and the Cathedral across the roofscape of the city from strategic views from locations both within and on the edge of the city centre and would also be visible from the street. It was therefore recommended that planning permission and listed building consent be refused.

Planning Appeals and Updates

The committee was scheduled to receive details of completed and pending appeals. The Appeals Report.pdf document included in the report pack listed planning appeals received between 04/04/2025 and 30/05/2025:

• Land at 30-36 Fisherton Street, Salisbury, SP2 7RG: An appeal against the refusal of a redevelopment for retirement living accommodation.
• 40 The Borough, Downton, Salisbury, SP5 3ND: An appeal against the refusal for the erection of a new dwelling.
• Walhampton, Petersfinger Road, Petersfinger, Salisbury, SP5 3BY: An appeal against the refusal of a variation of condition 4 on PL/2023/02794 to allow a change to dormer window.
• Willow Tree Barn, Ford Lane, Salisbury, SP4 6DJ: An appeal against the refusal of conversion of agricultural building to one C3 dwellinghouse under Schedule 2, Part 3, Class Q (b) of the General Permitted Development Order 2015 (as amended).

The report pack also listed planning appeals decided between 04/04/2025 and 30/05/2025:

• High View and Bonakers Farm, Idmiston Road, Porton, Salisbury, SP4 0LD: An appeal against the demolition of existing dwelling and annexe and construction of 4 dwellings was dismissed.
• Brindisi, Pollen Lane, Figheldean, Salisbury, SP4 8JR: An appeal against the demolition of existing property, build replacement dwelling was dismissed.
• Springhill, Old Blandford Road, Salisbury, SP2 8DE: An appeal against two storey and single storey extensions and associated alterations was dismissed.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The committee was asked to approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 17 April 2025. At that meeting, the committee:

• Approved the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 20 March 2025.
• Noted the Appeals Report.
• Approved Listed Building Consent PL/2025/02191 for 10 The Borough, Downton, Salisbury, SP5 3ND, subject to conditions. This was an application for the raising of the existing timber beam above the staircase opening to provide headroom for a stair lift and convert bathroom into a wet room with DDA compliant fixtures & fittings.