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Salisbury District Council has received an overwhelming response to its consultation on the Bourne Hill Office Project.
Residents were asked to say if the council should:
• Option A: Cancel the project
• Option B: Modify the project.
• Option C: Continue with the current project.
10,746 people responded, and a majority have told the council to go with Option B. The percentage breakdown was as follows:
• 24% (2,564) said cancel the project
• 53% (5,690) said modify the project.
• 21% (2,263) said continue with the current project.
Deputy Leader, Cllr Steve Fear, said: “We said we would consult and give people the chance to have their say. The overwhelming response to this consultation shows we were right to ask people what they want us to do.
“Whatever decision we take, it will be a difficult one.
“That is why it was we wanted local people to have a say.”
This major consultation involved sending a leaflet and letter to every household in the district (49,000). Residents could send in their views by either using the pre-paid reply slip, by letter or email and on-line.
The consultation was instructed by the new Liberal Democrat-Labour administration after it had asked that work on the project be stopped.
An independent report into the financial consequences of all three options was also commissioned.
The findings of that report and the consultation will be discussed at a special Cabinet meeting next Monday (23 July).
The Cabinet will make a final recommendation on one of the three options. If the Cabinet choose option A or B as its preferred option, that decision will have to be referred to a meeting of the Full Council which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday (25 July).
If the Cabinet choose option C, there will be no need to refer this to Full Council, which has already approved the current office project.
Salisbury District Council Leader, Cllr Paul Sample, said: “I would like to thank every single resident who has responded to this consultation. It shows how important this matter is to local people right across the district.
“We very much appreciate the response and the feedback we have received from community groups, parish councils and other councillors.”
Ends
Press release issued: July 19 2007
