Disabled parking spaces in Lichfield city centre are being suspended, Lichfield District Council has confirmed.
The local authority said the decision was made “to allow for better social distancing”.
It will mean spaces on Bore Street, Conduit Street, Market Street and Tamworth Street are unavailable from tomorrow (24th July).
But an extra 42 spaces will be made available for blue badge holders in the Bird Street car park.
In a statement on the council’s website, Cllr Liz Little, cabinet member of major projects and economic development, said:
“We hope blue badge holders will understand why we are making this temporary change to parking in the city centre.
“It can be difficult to practice social distancing along bustling streets in the heart of our beautiful city centre, and so freeing up some additional space should make it easier for pedestrians to get by safely.
“The extra Blue Badge parking bays at Bird Street car park gives great access to the city centre so are a good alternative.”
Cllr Liz Little, Lichfield District Council
“Inner heart of the city should be permanently pedestrianised”
The decision comes after Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant called for full pedestrianisation of the city centre on a permanent basis.
The Conservative MP said it would help create a cafe culture to attract tourists.
“I believe that in Lichfield, the inner heart of the city – Bore Street, Bird Street, Market Street and Dam Street – should be permanently pedestrianised with access only for deliveries at specified times.
“Other cities have done this years ago to great success. Disabled parking can be made available adjacent to the pedestrianised zone and adequate parking – able and disabled – would have to be provided.
“It would transform the very essence of our city for the better.”
Michael Fabricant MP
Seems like Lichfield is not caring about disabled people ? How are disabled people expected to access the banks in town without having to walk at least 200 yards ?
So we have to hire wheelchairs ?
But we haven’t got a lot of parking in lichfield so how can you get more people in lichfield if you taking the disable spaces in the places they are it will cause great hardship for them so I’m not for not for it sorry
As we all know that Lichfield does not have enough parking spaces on busy days, so taking away the parking away from the general public will force shoppers to look elsewhere at other towns with easier availability. It’s just another nail in local retailers coffins as if businesses have not suffered enough in the last 3 months.
How do you get on at other towns/cities sorry, I don’t feel sorry for you, bird street carpark is no further than some of the car parking facilities around town. Most of the population hate dodging the constant flow of cars, if this was a factory under H & S this would have been banned years ago.
Totally agree with our MP, all of the city centre should be pedestrianised. Will encourage visitors to city and aid outdoor seating. Sick and tired of near misses with cars who had no right to be on those roads. Sorry for true disabled persons but as many are in 4x4s, will an extra 100 yards cause that much hardship.
Lichfield generally has insufficient parking and to reduce the spaces further seems very hard, particularly on blue badge drivers. I am not disabled, but appreciate how difficult it is for these drivers. Reducing the number of ordinary parking spaces on the Bird Street car park will only exacerbate the parking problem overall. We have managed socially distancing well enough up to now, I really don’t think this is necessary.
we are not asking you to feel sorry for disabled people this is forcing people in wheelchairs to access the town through two narrow Sometimes in accessible passageways Or cut through B&M so social distancing For the very vunerablefutile.
Other towns & cities including central Birmingham have made provision the whole town needs a radical re think some spaces have been suspended to cafes Upon a payment so a extra money spinner.
They will have to put a barrier at Tamworth street to stop the illiterate drivers who can’t read the signage, to stop them entering the centre.
I’m actually surprised by the number of people who have told me they didn’t realise they couldn’t park outside the banks.
Pedestrianise the town centre for good…
Parking for disabled users can be made available in the old Woolworths car-park.
The cashpoint issue is a red-herring… Plenty of ATMs all around the city.
Put electronic barriers at the bottom of Greenhill. Deliveries in the morning, no access beyond emergency vehicles after 12.00…
Tables in the streets outside bars and cafes… Easy movement of shoppers… Heaven…
Which lunatic at the Council thought this one up, the same Council that demolished Kennings site and put up that crass hoarding and left an eyesore for people coming into the City.
The spaces lost to the general public in Bird St. mean less parking for them. They will go to Tamworth Ventura Park where parking is ample and free.
Good luck to the shops in Lichfield trying to re-establish their businesses, this Council is of no help to you.
I am a blue badge holder and am most grateful for it.
Obvious Lichfield doesn’t care about people no more to say to the small minded selfish attitude take our cash to Tamworth
Im disabled usually hire a scooter from the multistory or take my wheelchair it wont be a problem i hardly go out anyway
Surely cafe seating in disabled parking bays is going to make it as hard for social distancing as much as a car parked there would.
Can’t get to the bank, market opticians or pharmacy. If councilor Liz Little was that concerned, why wasn’t this done when the pandemic was at its peak. I, like a lot of other disabled people use the city on Tuesdays. That will force people elsewhere and will they return. The Tuesday Market might as well not bother especially as they have had a quiet day today. Every body in the town had been managing very well. If it ain’t broke, don’t mend it. What a shambles.
Park on Tesco and walk down if you’re able bodied. We all need to do more exercise and it’s free too.
Plus, as you walk down you can pop into Greggs for a quick Steak Bake…
… DOAH!
I think Bosby raises a very valid point. At a time when the council says it wants to improve social distancing, allowing people to sit by the side of pavements – without face masks as they are sat in a “cafe” – actually creates a problem. Either people walking, or those queuing outside premisis will be too close to those sat in the “cafe”.
This smacks of a decision taken on the hoof by a very small group of council people who probably already agreed among themselves it was a good idea.
The fact that so many people are complaining at the reduction of Bird Street car park spaces and claiming disabled people should park elsewhere, like the Friary car park, shows the problem. They are not pepared to walk the extra distance from the Friary, but they exect those with disabilities and mobility issues to do that instead so they can park in Bird Street.
Traffic cones, “Do not enter” signs, and Health & Safety wombles with fluorescent vests out in force, it looked like they had found a WW2 bomb in Lichfield today, but no, they were there to turn disabled folk away, “park away from the centre” they were saying, you cant come in here it’s “social distancing”. Wow I thought we have been doing that since March already maybe it’s a lockdown, but no, able bodied folk were walking around eating ice cream with masks around their necks so that couldn’t be it, the womble carried on “Yeah (LDC) only came out with this 24 hours ago, to start at 5am this morning, again “Wow” I thought, they really wanted to catch those pesky early rising disabled folk and make sure they couldn’t get to a cash point in town. Womble No.2 then tried to appease the Blue badge waving driver that it was “Only until October”…. October? Not this afternoon, or Monday, but October, by which time that disabled driver has found somewhere far easier to access, like the Ventura park in Tamworth.
I then read this article and really social exclusion is what is going on here, to a disadvantaged minority, LDC you are excluding people so that an MP can sit in a disabled parking bay near his constituency office on a sunny day.
By October, when it’s cold wet and miserable, dont be surprised when businesses die on their arse in our present economic climate LDC.
I find it almost impossible to park at the back of B&M so where are all the cars going when spaces are taken up for disabled parking ,I hold a blue badge and will not be going to Lichfield I have no intention of going down the side of Iceland to get to the shops so good bye Lichfield
The problem has always been the number of non disabled drivers that Abuse the pedestrian area and drive through the city centre. This has never been properly enforced.
At last a proper pedestrianised area. Does this mean that there will be no cars driving through when I visit on Saturday? Looking forward to it. This is long overdue. Please put barriers up outside the mankind clothes shop and either end of bore street to enforce this.
Rob – “Sorry for true disabled persons but as many are in 4x4s, will an extra 100 yards cause that much hardship.”
Thanks for that. I now have a new understanding of your level of ignorance.
It sets the benchmark to assess all your future comments.
Complainants should make their views known to the County Councillor for this area, Cll Natasha Pullen, only contactable via email according to the County Council’s website.
I wouldn’t worry about people going to Ventura park because the rate at which stores are closing at many shopping centres there won’t be much there.
If disabled parking bays are coursing issues for social distancing how is putting tables in there space going to help the issues ? They want to turn the spaces in to open café areas. If you carnt park how many people are going to cone to Lichfield ? If your driving around for along time looking to park how many people will stay ? How will café areas take off with no one in them. Parking is a premium in Lichfield. So if we are going to have all these café areas where are the public amenities to support this ? No public services hardly in or around Lichfield. Will Lichfield just be used as a big toilet ? When people are drink they don’t cafe where they go. Good look and Smell for Lichfield. Toilets are either shut or cut down due to social distancing. I feel for the sevearly disabled who don’t have the mobility to go far. Lichfield council are spending cash In the wrong areas. New road surface was a waste of cash it’s wearing away already in areas. Green areas arnt being looked after but they are putting more in. Let’s hope the council have allocated enough of the budget to get the town cleaned up every day seeings they are so desperate for this café culture.
The council has made it impossible for me to get to the places I most need to visit in the city centre including the bank, the optician, the dentist, Boots, and St Giles, as well as to other other shops. Providing extra blue badge bays in the Bird Street car park is absurd. If I, and similarly disabled people, could walk from there to city centre premises, we wouldn’t need a blue badge! The council will simply be cutting the number of spaces available to other people in what is one of the busiest car parks in Lichfield.
Oh very nice,now I and other blue badge holders who need the 🏦 will have to go to Burton or Tamworth so whilst there we may as well get our shopping . Sorry to the shops in Lichfield but I am unable to walk far much like others I’m sure.
Sorry you have lost my vote Mr Fabricant. This is an insult to us oldies. Guess you don’t want us anymore
I am very concerned about the considered permanent removal of disabled parking in Lichfield city centre. My husband and I are regular visitors and he is very disabled. We spend money in Wilkos and many other local shops but not being able to park nearby means we will be unable continue to do this. I don’t believe this will be good for the town and completely disregards the problems disabled people suffer.
When the darker nights come I wonder if Cllr Liz Little will be happy to limp along, on crutches, in the dark, down the passageway by Iceland. A walk which could take some of us the best part of five minutes. With Health & Safety of disabled people in mind I am amazed any sane LDC employees went along with this brain numbing stupid idea.
My father is 93yrs old and is frail and not able to walk far.. the idiot on here that talked about blue badge holders driving 4x4s Is being grossly unfair to the elderly and disabled. My Dads little bit of independence has been taken away and quite frankly LDC should be ashamed and charged with discrimination. If my Father and those like him could walk from the car park there wouldn’t be the need for disabled bays? Also my mother has to use a wheelchair, trying to push her through the town when it’s busy and cafes are spread out onto the paths is very difficult, however perhaps wheelchairs and mobile scooters should be banned eh Mr Fabricant then you can all enjoy your cafe society pedestrianised areas without the nuisance of elderly and disabled spoiling the town?…
My father can’t get to the bank, his hearing centre, opticians, Or Boots.
LDC you should be ashamed of yourselves
I will not be able to walk to Boots, library, bank, or optician. They are too far from disabled parking. Will taxis be able to get into city centre . Lock down again.
Lichfield is a tourist town bring on cafe culture lets get into the 21st century. As for the banks they all want to park inside in a year or two they will not exist
The ban on Blue Badge Parking in Lichfield City Centre has in no way improved Social Distancing. Yesterday in the Market Place Area the crowds of people marching around with no regard for the recommended distancing was quite incredible. It seems many people have come to believe the pandemic does not affect Lichfield and are behaving as if there is no need to wear Masks or avoid close contact with others. As to the ‘Blue Badge’ ban all this has done is to penalise our Disabled Citizens and has not encouraged proper Social Distancing. Perhaps our enlightened Councillors, and Mr Fabricant should have a walk around the City Centre and observe the chaos the have created.
Surprised ? Lichfield is full of people because it attracts tourists. Now all it needs is awnings from shops and pavement cafes to complete the picture. It is not far from the carpark to say Natwest and Boots
I had to bring my wife (Blue Badge holder) into town for her eye test in Market Street. My son had told me about the restriction otherwise I wouldn’t have known anything about it!
Aimed for Friary car park, full and queuing so decided on Bird St., full, with prowling cars looking for a slot.
I eventually found someone leaving and parked near he toilet block.
My wife uses a rollator and found the walk to the top of Market St very exhausting.
It is all very well for our MP to want pedestrianisation, he only needs to amble down from Cathedral Close for his latte at a well-known chain cafe in Bore St.
The thought of getting her to the Bore St dental practice, she will probably need resucitation.
Come on Lichfield Council how about looking after the well-being of your citizens. Your shops and market traders need us.