Spaces in a Lichfield car park have been changed to allow more disabled spaces after a decision to suspend on street city centre blue badge bays.
Lichfield District Council revealed the plan yesterday (24th July) before introducing it today.
The local authority said the suspension of the disabled bays on Bore Street, Conduit Street, Market Street and Tamworth Street would help manage social distancing outside shops and banks.
Council staff have been repurposing spaces in the Bird Street car park as part of a plan to switch 42 of the bays for blue badge holders.
Cllr Liz Little, cabinet member for major projects and economic development at Lichfield District Council, 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.”
But local businesses have questioned the decision due to the potential impact on trade.
A spokesperson for one company said:
“Business is hard enough at the moment without the council deciding to make half the car park disabled only.
“It’s one way to kill this end of the city – at 11.30am half the car park was empty.”
I’m not wishing to sound harsh here, and please don’t take this the wrong way, but these new disabled bays are 500 feet from the front door of Lloyds Bank.
For those disabled drivers who previously parked in the city centre, it’s not a colossal difference considering that the ideal space (right outside the shop you want) might not be available.
Either way, able-bodied drivers can carry on parking on Tesco and walking down. I always do that as it stops me turning into a chunky monkey :)
This is a monumentally stupid decision. Just when you think LDC couldn’t be any more chaotic with its “back of a fag packet” type plans….they come along with this tripe.
So, at present, a blue badge owner cannot park outside NatWest- because of social distancing. However, that same blue badge owner can now park behind B&M, and then go and sit outside Greggs without a face mask……
They are to be commended for their utter stupidity.
My husband is awaiting a knee replacement postponed due to covid 19 and is unable to walk very far the city centre parking was ideal . Sorry Lichfield city businesses you have lost us as customers.
I’m speechless! The Council goes from worse to worse with their very ill thought out plans. Hardly thought out at all.
In their wisdom LDC, they can’t grasp any business sense whatsoever. Free Parking for everyone to start with. Next is to pedestrianise the whole of the town centre. You shouldn’t be looking over your shoulder dodging cars in a confined space.
I think it’s more to remove the vehicle from the pedestrianised area of the city. Thus freeing more space for shoppers walking through this section and allowing a bigger freedom of movement.
Less cars in the way equals more space for people. Seems quite a decent idea
I have to disagree with this decision. My husband can’t walk 500m to go to a shop so will park near to where he needs to go. So lichfield we will give a miss until they are reinstalled
This is SO UNFAIR…..we are given badges because we CAN’T WALK…… Words fail me, who thought this up, a nightmare trip to the dentist in Bore Street, or any of the other optitians, banks etc.
But where will the beer bus park now?
This I’ll thought decision is just yet another by the out of touch councils. They continue to kill off Lichfield and for people like me with limited walking ability they simply have not thought it through.
Temporary !!!. With their record why should we believe that.
Disgusted by this decision by LDC. I have limited mobility and am a blue badge holder. My dentist is in Bore Street, my opticians in Market Street and my Pharmacy is in Tamworth Street how do i visit any of them now? Parking bays full of tables and chairs on Bore street so pedestrians still using the foot paths. Social distancing measures my backside revenue gathering more like.
Temporary, Lack of thought? I don’t think so. I read in The
Lichfield Mercury that MR Fabricant would like to see Lichfield with no traffic going through and plenty of places for people to sit like other places of interest. I read this a few weeks ago so it wasn’t too much of a shock for me. My husband and I are both Registered disabled