Salisbury Police Station plans held up by power supply problems
The preferred site doesn't have enough power to sustain a station
Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner has exclusively told Greatest Hits Radio what's holding up the new site of Salisbury's Police station being announced.
PCC Philip Wilkinson's preference is for a site in Old Sarum, but says a lack of electrical infrastructure has set plans back.
"There is not the electrical infrastructure at that site to sustain a police station," he said.
That's despite work done earlier this year nearby which saw the A360 in Salisbury closed for electrical cables to laid in preparation for the Stonehenge Tunnel project.
That work is now obsolete after the new Government scrapped the plans in July to fill a financial black hole.
But with his preference not on the electrical grid, what next?
"Before I buy the property (at Old Sarum), I need guarantees that Southern Electric will lay the infrastructure to build a police station there," the PCC said.
He added that he's been continuing to assess alternatives, including at High Post and Churchfields Industrial Estate.
Mr Wilkinson said of the High Post site: "It was turned down once, so we and the developers have had to change the plan. But that's still a possibility."
He said the Churchfields Industrial Estate location would be 'great' due to it's proximity to the city - but accessibility issues are a major red flag.
"The problem with Churchfields is it's stuck," the PCC told us, adding: "To get off Churchfields , you've got to go down past and under the little bridge and roundabout by the station, or you've got to winkle all your way through a load of houses to get out in the sort of Wilton direction.
"And as I discovered last time, when I actually went and walked one of the previous sites when the train comes in from London, nobody can get out from down towards the direction of the city.
"It would be great if it's closer to the city. But then do we end up being bottled in it and can't get out when we need to so?"
Mr Wilkinson said the two and a half year search for a site without securing one is has left him 'embarrassed' but feels he's pushed as much as he possibly could.
He remains adamant that 'we'll get there' despite the problems the plans continue to face.