Plans to demolish a block of residential garages in Lichfield have been approved.
Housing association Bromford says it wants to create more parking spaces for nearby properties at Smithfield Rise.
A planning statement said:
“There is large demand in the area for additional parking – the garages are in low demand and are falling into disrepair and would require significant investment to refurbish.”
Planning statement
But one objector described the plans as “ridiculous”.
“We already have out of town parking from people working in Lichfield – imagine when more parking is available.
“I hope we as residents are going to be able to apply for permit parking as those who have no consideration for us will be jumping for joy when they see more parking available in Smithfield Rise.”
Planning objection
However, a report from Lichfield District Council’s planning team said the future use was not a consideration for a prior notification of demolition application.
Full details of the proposals are available online.
As A resident of Smithfield Rise, might I say we have not been notified of any demolition work, or consulted about future use. I strongly favour the building of one bedroom flats for the young and permits for parking. [We are close to the city and many workers park in the street here, often making it difficult for residents to find a space.]
I hope that Bromford mean that these particular garages are in low demand, and isn’t a general reference to garages in Lichfield. They seem to be demolishing garages in several places, despite there being a waiting list for garages. If they have fallen into disrepair, whose fault is this? Do they just not want to maintain them? And can they suggest what those renting garages are supposed to do with the stuff they keep in them? There is clearly a demand for storage facilities.
At this stage I’m not even convinced that all the parts of Bromford are on the same page when it comes to their Lichfield decision making. One function is seeking the permission as these group members feel like this demolition suits their needs and is justified by their assessments (to which we’re told that there is a lack of demand and they can’t justify the investment in maintaining them for their residents) while the other functions that would then deliver on this and/or communicating at the local level are coming across as not having access to common objective information, lacking in transparency or just caught in some form of inaction.
The Bloomfield Crescent garages are a good example of this limbo. To this day it still says on the Lichfield Council planning permission portal that they were scheduled for demolition back in 2018 but with no new information or follow ups. In my recent communications with a neighborhood coach they have now revealed that they currently have no immediate plans and the site is back under review.
How is this fair on the locals who are expecting disruption at their door step but they don’t know when? How is it fair on the residents who currently rent and rely on these garages for storage or security? Are the local residents and garage users even aware that besides the fact that they’re still there that nothing is planned for now and they can expect regular updates in the future if something does change?
I can only hope the council are monitoring the situation and if more Lichfield sites end up like this that they take decisive action to stop this lingering feeling of disruption and uncertainty that Bromford are creating.
I couldn’t have put it better myself @Ben. I live adjacent to these garage’s and have been actively seeking information about the demolition since August this year. I found out permission had been granted through this post yesterday. The demolition date notice is 05/01/21 not 2022. I have emailed Cllr Greatorex today as he was on the committee that approved the plans. This garage wall runs entire length of my property front to back so the demolition is going to compromise my security and privacy not to mention the mess and noise that will be involved. Bromford are totally unwilling or incapable of providing me with any kind assurances if my property is stolen or damaged in the process or what is going to replace the wall. I did have a garage that they gave me but they never completed the direct debit mandate so they have no record of me having it. I was still on the waiting list for a garage and was offered one on several occasions where I would tell them I had one and had never paid them. Still nothing. Fast forward to September and I am now locked out of my garage where my work equipment remained until they were kind enough to let me in to retrieve my property. They gave me 3 days to organise clearing the garage despite having contact with them two months prior. This is so typical of Bromford. I can tell you of at least four other occasions where I have been given the mushroom treatment. There attitude is if I were at work I wouldn’t know about the shoddy workmanship. I am my son’s carer and have been for 13 years. I feel discriminated against for living in a Bromford property by Bromford. Get in touch with the councillors. Bromford have been a law into them selves for far to long.
Well, well. These experiences of Bromford mirror mine exactly. Extremely poor communication and a total lack of action on a fence of theirs that needs replacing.
“There is large demand in the area for additional parking“ – yes, at least in part, by people working or shopping in the city centre. As a resident of Smithfield Rise, I often struggle to park. Therefore, I think we already had enough problems of this nature and I think we need a residents parking permit system.