The former Friarsgate site could see the creation of a new “cultural quarter” if proposals are given the green light.
Lichfield District Council’s cabinet will discuss the proposals for land on the rebadged Birmingham Road Site next week.
A document outlining how the project could shape up shows that five zones would be created.
Residential areas would occupy a large section of the former Tempest Ford and bus station areas, with food and drink along with leisure provision being placed on part of the current council offices and the multi-storey car park.
The proposed cinema would also sit alongside the one-time Debenhams store as part of a planned “cultural quarter” adjacent to the Lichfield Garrick.
The site would also see a green space used to link St John Street to the area where the multi-storey car park currently stands.
A report explains:
“The Birmingham Road is the focal point of the site for arrivals into the city by train and provides an opportunity for the creation of a gateway into the site, as well as drawing people though to a cultural quarter type space to the nothern boundary and into the Three Spires Shopping Centre.
“The junction where St John Street and the Birmingham Road meet offers the potential for a gateway building to mark the location and create a sense of arrival to the area, framed by an inviting open space.”
Report to meeting of Lichfield District Council’s cabinet
The proposals would also see the loss of some existing space occupied by the council on Frog Lane, with offices having the potential to move into the upper space above the new leisure area adjacent to the Lichfield Garrick.
“There are four edges to the site boundary that each have a different character.
“Each area provides an opportunity to integrate with the existing built form and pattern”
Report to meeting of Lichfield District Council’s cabinet
The proposals will be discussed at a meeting of the council’s cabinet on 8th February.
That’s a strange way to spell ‘Retirement Apartment Quarter’
OK so what is a culture Quarter. Sounds good! Cinema yes and what else??
Here we go… residences for yet more old people- Lichfield, the retirement capital of the UK.
Cram in more box like apartments and generate more Council tax income per sq meter ? Create more demand for social services and GPs, but we won’t bother to increase supply- shocking !
If it is going to be a culture area, why does it need to have any residential buildings involved?
Culture? A new renaissance for Lichfield? Baroque stile housing with poetry readings? Oh sorry, I was daydreaming there for a moment.
Ticky Tacky little boxes and fish and chips. A city of philosophers….. I don’t think so!
I’m sorry but this is a poorly conceived and bland plan for the area. No imagination or ambition. More food and drink (as if that’s needed) and residential with a cinema squeezed in. Utter garbage LDC. This could have been so much more.
Surely an improved bus station needs to be kept opposite the railway station to facilitate change from one to the other.
So if they get rid of the multi story where will everyone park? A cinema will need a decent car park if they want anyone to actually use it. Why any residential at all? The amount of residential development in the city centre recently does not warrant any more. And finally new council offices, well they would be getting something out of it for themselves as well wouldn’t they. They have just revamped all their office space within the current offices, why do that if they thought they might be moving?
Does it mean the multi storey car park disappears? How do people access the ‘cultural quarter’ – no trains from most of the region, busses – well!! Do hope that parking plays a part. Apart form audiences it’s very difficult, as a performer, to drag your double bass or heavy keyboard into the Garrick, or Guildhall with no nearby parking. There seems in planning to be a green world around the corner when we can just seemlessly get to places without transport!
In theory a great idea but a bowling alley or similar would be good for young people and families who generate income for local economy that the council seem to forget about in creating an oap capital at present. I am by this point however disillusioned that any of this will come to fruition by a council that seems to favour older people’s housing.
Where do we expect all these newly attracted folks to park their cars?
The bus station looks sort of tidy after a resurface – do we now understand that it will again be dug up?
Lichfield the SAGA capital of the UK. What we will need is Mobility Scooter charging points, funeral directors and purveyors of easy to chew food.
Believe it when I see it.
Wouldn’t it be a lovely thing for the City and its residents to have a statue of Nadine Dorries as the centrepiece for the new cultural quarter? She’s brought so much to the role and truly embodies what culture means to Britons in 2022.
It seems we are getting the Taylor Wimpey quarter, the Persimmon Homes quarter, the retirement quarter and the broken promises quarter.
So we’re losing the multi storey and the bus station as well. I am at a loss for words
Why so desperate to build more residential property in the city centre? More housing is hardly appropriate for a “gateway” to Lichfield. If housing is needed to provide funding for the development, why can’t that funding come from all the big housing developments on the outskirts of the city? Are we still going to have the same amount of car parking and an adequate bus station? The Council should resist proposals from developers to build housing on this site. They should build facilities that locals need and that will attract visitors from elsewhere.
@Vladimir, if the council went a little further, they could add audio. As you approached said statue you would hear in drunken tones ‘the Prime Minister tells the truth’.
It could be a metaphor for this age, for all time.
Basically this is a badly written farce. Cultural quarter? Can’t stop laughing.
“Welcome to Lichfield” “here’s our old peoples people homes” if it’s the choice of residential or grass give me the green stuff any day. “Residential occupying a large area” this says it all.
There needs to be a mechanism in place for the residents of Lichfield to vote on this major project? Where’s our wonder MF when he’s needed ? This needs stopping now not when it’s started and once lost this land will never be available again.
The cultural quarter seems to consist of a cinema. What films are they thinking of showing?
Their is Literally nothing for the young people, !!! Lichfield need to reminded it selfe that it shuld Cater to all generations not just one ( old people)
What ever gets created will be a massive anticlimax. The planners and council in general of this city are amongst the worst I’ve come across.
LDC plan a cultural quarter yet fill the city with over 90 year olds.
@John Allen. Liar Liar, seems an appropriate first movie.
They’ll demolish the multi-storey and we’ll end up with a rubble pile twice the size it currently is. People will flock from far-and-wide to point and laugh Jimbo (of Simpsons fame) style.
This is of course, a joke. Just like our current council.
The schematic diagram taken from the agenda of next weeks meeting of the Council,
shows the largest area taken up with residential property
follow the link,
https://democracy.lichfielddc.gov.uk/documents/s11894/Appendix%20B%20-%20Indicative%20Zonal%20Plan.pdf
I’ve looked at the site plan Woody. You are absolutely correct more than half the extended site is scheduled for housing.
Do the council think that if this had been the proposal for the original Friasgate it would have been acceptable?
I wonder if there is a mechanism for a motion of no confidence in them? This is surely a mistake too far. They are making Our city a laughing stock.
Incidentally there is no obvious indication of what will happen to the old grammar school and masters house. Are they another part of historical Lichfield to disappear? They must have some grade protection.
thanks for putting the link to the plans up Woody, and am appalled! Basically it is yet another housing estate sat within lichfield city centre!
and as you say what is happening to the old grammar school buildings. They have never been appreciated and now it looks as though they have disapeared under the Plazza!
Quite so Dale. Houses in the city centre? Can you imagine the price of them? And I remember it being said that the location in a conservation area would increase the build costs when it was suggested that the new leisure centre could be built there. Does this not apply to housing then? Something amiss here methinks.
I am just appalled. This site is basically being given over to housing with a few bits of “leisure” shoved in the corners. Utterly disgusting LDC. Some heads need turning.
I think we should all write to our respective councillors and object to any residential property being built on this site
Lets bombard them with our objections
Redevelopment of former Friarsgate Site
I think everybody knew a large area would be for residential to pay for the scheme
Flats will not be a good arrival point to the town centre, I think they know people will just drive through so no replacement car parking required for loss of multi storey parking
No mention of where a replacement bus station, or coach parking will be, but what is there now will not be missed
A lady did ask why the car parking was lost for coaches when they are not using it, the drivers have got more sense than stop there with a coach load of passengers and only two pay to use toilets
Bus station not as good as some bus stops, very little weather protection, nothing telling you the times how the buses are running
Before Christmas did go to Tamworth on the bus, services had been cut, running late bus that did turn up went through Whittington, completely full standing from back to front, although you could not sit on front seats because of covid, full of students from the college what example to set them, would not do that again
I think a lot of people catch the bus at the Friary if going that way know when the bus is coming
I do not suppose the council will loose their 24/7/ 365 days parking
I suppose it is a waste of time for anybody saying anything, like in the 1970s they half built toilets in the precinct before they agreed with everybody and took it all down
I feel I have let our young ones down as things are worse now than when I was young, I don’t know what the council think they have done
They could of put the swimming baths and leisure facilities there, but would not make any money out of the ground
How anybody can call it scheme when there is no mention of where the car parking or bus station are going,best left by train station, or more destruction some where else
I’d prefer it being left as it is, for a future Council and generation with some gusto and ideas to sort, rather than build more residential on it which means it is lost to the community forever.
It might be better to leave it in its current barren state, and wait for better times ahead, than develop it as residential now and lose the opportunity for something more imaginative in the future.
@Steve: snap!
I feel strongly about this – Lichfield Live – how about publishing a picture of the actual plans in your news so that people can actually see what is going on. The plans proposed are disgraceful!