'Significant deterioration' found in listed monument
BBCRestoration work will take place on a Grade 1 listed monument after "significant deterioration" was found in its roof supports, a council says.
Salisbury City Council has installed scaffolding around Poultry Cross and erected safety boarding to provide support and protect shoppers in the Wiltshire city.
Councillor Sam Charleston said the local authority was keen to provide reassurance that restoring the structure, which stands at the junction of Silver Street and Minster Street, was a priority.
"The Poultry Cross is part of the living heritage of our wonderful medieval city and we are absolutely committed to seeing it fully restored," he added.
The monument stands on the site of the city's medieval poultry market and is the only survivor of four crosses which once stood in the market place area - the others being the Cheese Cross, Barnard's Cross and Wool and Yarn Cross.
A routine safety inspection by the council found issues with the surviving structure's timber beam roof supports.
"It's not looking like it will be too serious a repair but we are awaiting final reports before we can arrange the work," Mr Charleston added.
He said the council might be able to access grants for the repairs once the full nature of the work was understood, but added there was also a "very strong reserve fund" for this sort of unexpected expense.
Mr Charleston explained that the problems with the roof supports "were a completely separate issue" from damage caused when a car hit the monument in 2022. Those issues were fixed in repairs paid for by insurers, he said.
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