SALISBURY City Centre Management is urging people to shop local to minimise the economic impact of the work being carried out in the Market Place.

Businesses in the Cross Keys Centre and around the square are already reporting a drop in trade since the diggers rolled in to tear up the surface of the Guildhall Square earlier this month, with the work scheduled to take five months to complete.

Ian Newman, chairman of Salisbury City Centre Management said: “The work planned for the Market Place is crucial to Salisbury’s future and we fully support it. But in the short term there will be some disruption. “Any building project, particularly one in the centre of the city, will inevitably affect those businesses nearby. Our message to the people of Salisbury is that it is business as usual. Please support the shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants around the Market Place during this difficult period.”

The Market Place improvement project includes repaving the square, adding new seating and lighting, and building disabled toilet facilities.

Parking will also be removed allowing the area to be used for more community events.