Historic market cross to get £400k refurbishment
BBCAn historic market cross, which was added to a national list of threatened structures in November, is to have £400,000 spent on its preservation.
The Poultry Cross in Salisbury is considered at "immediate risk of further rapid deterioration," according to Historic England's At Risk register.
On Monday, Salisbury City Council approved its budget for 2026-27, which along with the funding for the cross also included £250,000 for the Salisbury Playhouse and £50,000 to support the Salisbury 800 celebrations next year.
Council leader Sam Charleston said the budget "protects services, plans for the future, and puts this council back onto stable financial footing".
"After some very difficult years, Salisbury City Council is now finally in a genuinely strong position, and this budget is the clearest evidence of that," Charleston added.
The Poultry Cross stands on the site of the city's medieval poultry market and is the only survivor of four crosses which once stood there.
A routine safety inspection in 2025 found issues with the surviving structure's timber beam roof supports.
The budget will be funded with back-to-back increases in council tax but the council said it has no plans for increases for the three years after that.
Smaller parcels of money have been allocated for repairs to the Guildhall ceiling and various play parks, the refurbishment of the market place toilets and a rolling programme of CCTV upgrades.
The accessibility budget has also been increased to £50,000 per year, which will be spent on inclusive facilities across the city.
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