THE redevelopment and modernisation of Salisbury's Maltings shopping precinct has taken a major step forward.

A much larger Sainsbury supermarket, with futuristic aerial spars shooting from the roof, has passed the scrutiny of the district council's architects' panel.

The redevelopment package has also received the backing of the district council's city area committee and now just has to get the approval of the planning and regulatory committee in August.

If that committee rubber-stamps the scheme. the next stage will be to set a start date for the work, which will take up to 44 weeks to complete.

The scheme includes a supermarket of 7,200sqm, built at ground level, with parking on a roof.

There will be about 600 parking spaces and the opportunity to improve the adjoining central car park.

The redevelopment will also allow landscaping work to be carried out in the Maltings area generally, upgrading the central car park and providing better links with Fisherton Street and the city centre.

Committee chairman Sue Mallory said the committee was unanimously behind a new Sainsbury store but some councillors had reservations about the design.

Mayor of Salisbury Bobbie Chettleburgh said: "I have thought long and hard about it because it is going to be so totally different from what is there now.

"I had to decide whether it would be better to have something new and different than a mock-Tudor set-up.

"Having thought about it, I believe it would be better."

Councillors are keen to ensure that, during the 40-plus week development period, the City Hall and Playhouse theatre escape as much disruption as possible.

Mrs Chettleburgh said there would have to be conditions attached.

"The Maltings area will have to be kept clean, with access maintained wherever possible and the minimum disruption to local people," she said.

Committee member Simon Howarth said the contract would inevitably cause disruption but that the developers would have to ensure that traders in Fisherton Street did not have another round of disruption to contend with.

"I have no doubt that, if the development goes ahead, it will draw more people into Salisbury and be an asset to the town," he said.

"What I do not want to see are local businesses or the Playhouse brought to their knees while the works go on."