A council chief says he is keen to see an “ugly” multi-storey car park removed to make way for a more attractive entrance to Lichfield city centre.

The Birmingham Road multi-storey car park. Picture: Google Streetview
The Birmingham Road multi-storey car park. Picture: Google Streetview

The Birmingham Road facility has been earmarked for redevelopment as part of a mixed use scheme on land previously earmarked for Friarsgate.

An indicative drawing suggests a cinema could be built on the site alongside the empty Debenhams unit along with food and drink outlets and offices.

Cllr Doug Pullen, leader of Lichfield District Council, said:

“The current multi-storey car park is ugly and there are better uses for the space.

“We want to make the city centre attractive when people first arrive.”

Cllr Doug Pullen, Lichfield District Council

The redevelopment of the area would not necessarily see a like-for-like replacement of the lost spaces as part of the scheme.

An indicative plan of the proposed Birmingham Road site redevelopment
An indicative plan of the proposed Birmingham Road site redevelopment

Work on a city centre masterplan has previously suggested that there are more than enough spaces across the central area of Lichfield, but that drivers tend to focus on a limited number of locations.

Speaking last year, Cllr Pullen said there were solutions – including the use of tiered parking rates – that could be introduced to make better use of alternative facilities.

“We absolutely have an over-provision of car parking spaces within the city – a number of our car parks sit half-empty throughout the day and yet all of us will know that Bird Street car park can often involve periods of circling to find a space.

“It’s my view that we should improve our signage to make sure people know and understand where the car parks are and that they can have real time data about how many spaces are available within each car park as they enter the city.”

Cllr Doug Pullen, Lichfield District Council

The Birmingham Road multi-storey has had a chequered past, having been upgraded to include wider bays in 2009, only to shut shortly afterwards for urgent repairs amid fears it could collapse – a closure that ended up lasting 11 months.

The facility was resurfaced again in 2015 as part of remedial work, but the failure of the Friarsgate redevelopment to come to fruition again left question marks over the future of the car park.

A council report in 2019 revealed that the failure of the long-awaited city centre redevelopment project was likely to mean the cost of extending the life of the multi-storey would stretch to a further £300,000.

And just last year, the upper levels of the car park were closed once more to allow further maintenance and repair work to take place.

A debate over whether to proceed with the latest redevelopment plans for the site will take place at a meeting of Lichfield District Council on 22nd February.

43 Comments
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We want a leisure centre
2 years ago

Oh great, we can build another later living complex there.

We want a leisure centre, we need medical facilities. What will we get? Old peoples apartments… LDC you are totally devoid of imagination

Adam
2 years ago

Is this the same Council that built it and refurbished it several times? How has it suddenly become ugly? We live in a climate that is cold and wet for much of the year; people will use their cars rather than get cold and wet. Of they can’t find anywhere to park they’ll go elsewhere.

Clare Sholl
2 years ago

Quite right! Lichfield is far too posh for nasty things like bus stations and car parks. Once the helipad and the marina are in place, we will finally be attracting the right class of visitor!

With held
2 years ago

Great do the council not know that over the last two years car parks may have not been full because hundreds of people have been working from home now will be going back to work get a grip LDC while all this develop is going on if it ever happens you tell us where to park because I find it impossible after ten o’clock now let alone in years to come you say you are aware that at Bird street people are circling round to find a space but of course you probably have your own car space or prefer to shop else where .Time you resigned Mr Pullen

Carl Sholl
2 years ago

It’s just not true that there is over-provision of parking in Lichfield. On a Saturday it is still difficult to find a space anywhere, including the “ugly” car park that Cllr Pullen has taken such a dislike to. It is obviously in the right place and not ugly to the many drivers who use it. It is a perfect location for the train station, for the theatre and for the shops, particularly the old Debenhams which one would hope may one day be revived as a retail space. The same can be said of the bus station, which is also not the eyesore some Councillors want us to believe. It’s an essential facility right where it needs to be. What is not needed in this space is housing. There’s plenty of that being built elsewhere in Lichfield.

Clare Charles
2 years ago

Put up another identical block of “later living” apartments where the bus station is that lack any sort of character or architectural merit. People will not notice how ugly the car park looks then as they will be too focused on the uglier apartments.

Reg
2 years ago

Lichfield city council doesn’t have a clue. Development has been supposed to happen since I moved to Lichfield in 2008. Town is going backwards.

Mr Mr
2 years ago

They “Could” have put the car park where the job centre was….but no over 90’s appartments now. If they had turned that into a modern car park it would have freed up the Friars Gate site for a nice cinema and other leisure activities in fact they could have build a over 90’s site under the car park ?

John
2 years ago

Duck & Cover: retirement flats incoming! All I can say we won’t need car parking soon as everyone will be on mobility scooters.

SBUK
2 years ago

Great place in the early 80’s to skateboard from top to bottom.. pretty much useless other than that … O and the arcade games in the original taxi rank. Pull it down.

Ponderer
2 years ago

I’d agree it’s ugly……bit I’m not sure lichfield in a place where removing car parking is a good idea.

I’m wondering how doug Pullen comments get on here so regularly whereas other councillors are often not heard. Do we have a mole or bias perhaps?

Teresa wale
2 years ago

I moved to lichfield from Sutton coldfield over twenty years ago have seen lichfield going down hill as regards shops , doctors surgery no police station have a theatre that could be a cinema help with the finance of the building.

Lichfield Resident
2 years ago

This is the best car park in Lichfield! It’s the only one with wide enough spaces so you can easily get kids out and into a pram, with the added bonus of being undercover so you don’t get wet whilst doing it.

Pam
2 years ago

I keep pointing out that the new proposals for a cultural quarter – on the site of the multi storey – has no provision for alternative parking. If you have a cinema with substantial seating, plus the 550 seat Garrick Theatre wanting to get into and out of Lichfield in the evenings – not to mention those wanting to access eateries etc, there is no pulic transport to facilitate this – access by car is the only viable way to get to these entertainments, and somewhere is needed to park your car. It doesn’t matter how much the council think we should abandon our cars and walk or cycle or take the bus – how many people cycle to the theatre?

Of course if you are chairman of the council you can travel in the civic car and have no worries about either parking or public transport!

Simon
2 years ago

I think Doug Pullen should resign. All that agree should write to him. LDC is terrible and it starts at the top. He clearly has no clear plan or direction for Lichfield and this area deserves better. Go Cllr Pullen and allow someone more imaginative and ambitious take over!

Fay Minshull
2 years ago

We need a cinema which could be incorporated with a bowling alley – both licensed and where kennings garage was a pool/ lido would be great to attract visitors and locals and still room for posh 🤣car parking

CB
2 years ago

So. One question.. where is the proposed car park going to be, appears LDC do not know whether they are on their Heads or Arses
I despair.

Dean
2 years ago

It looks awful. The bus station looks awful too. Rip it all down and have something decent. Compare Lichfield to other cathedral cities and your expectations won’t be so low. We have to ask for better.

Stevo
2 years ago

Agree here, prime land that could be much better utilised. Get rid of it and let’s have that cinema or bowling alley. Most people who live in Lichfield live within a 20 min walk of the centre, but lots are quite lazy these days.

Gary Roden
2 years ago

I moved to Lichfield when i got married in the mid 80’s and we have been promised a cinema ever since. The removal of the “ugly” car park seems a valid idea as we have more empty shops than any other city in the UK due to our greedy council retail outlet rates. A new elderly living site opposite the station again is a good idea so they only have to cross the road to get a train to go to other towns or cities with shops.

Maria
2 years ago

There are many needs for Lichfield which are not being met. I am 84 and feel that there are no clothes shops which I can walk to. I have to pay for a taxi and go to Tamworth, which’s costs me £35. Although I do gets some help when I white a letter to the council. I feel we need more old age flats as Lichfield is a nice place and not for young people any more

Dale
2 years ago

Visit Lichfield. But, do not come by car, bus or coach.

I smell a whiff of the Bromford’s here. Maybe contracts are already in place and someone has forgotten the need for parking. Or, the council are trying to destroy the city centre and turn it all into housing.

There is now a sudden rush to get things completed. How can events like food fairs now take place? Where are visitors from outside the city supposed to park?

Robert Scott
2 years ago

Mmmm, so the car park is an eyesore, I guess Premier Inn metal clad industrial building is a beautiful addition to the city as is the next phase of the new toy town being built South side of town.

On another note on car parks in town, I have never understood why you have to buy a ticket prior to parking, visitors will return to their vehicle under pressure to time constraints and most likely leave, where if the visitor paid on exit they may be more inclined to spend more time in town spending.

Pie
2 years ago

Maria, is that a joke?

Philip
2 years ago

I just have an image in my mind of people struggling with their shopping in the wet winter months walking the “twenty minutes” in and then out of the centre. Those outside of this kilometre distance would have to drive somewhere else, somewhere they could park their car.
I just cannot understand the logic of abandoning public and personal transport. This is England. It rains a lot, the winds can be strong, it sometimes swelters in the sun. Our city has many elderly people (deliberately so). And the council wants us to walk everywhere? With the weekly shop. Do grow up. You are like silly children now.
Lastly, Lichfield parking has always been notoriously expensive. Is that to be lost to council revenues? With all the urban sprawl of commuter properties there will be call for much more parking provision….Not Less!

Mr. C
2 years ago

Well, well, another car park bites the dust. Just see what happened to the nice open car and bus park on the Friary. Easy walk into the city. Now if the multi storey by the bus station looks ugly, simply clad it and make it look better without losing a valuable asset. The reason he says that the other car parks are half empty is because for 2 years, people have worked from home and also the price of parking will put visitors off. Other towns around here have some free parking most days and free all day Sunday to encourage visitors.

Vich
2 years ago

Lichfield shops and businesses are doomed to fail if people do not come in from other places. They will not do this if transport is too difficult. Doug Pullen says that there is adequate parking, but only if you are able bodied. People also need public transport, as many of us come in from surrounding towns and villages, and do not have the luxury of walking. To say that they don’t have a plan for where the buses will go is madness. Remember too that coaches bringing day trippers also need space.
If transport issues are addressed, and people are enabled to visit Lichfield, then businesses will be likely to grow.
I agree with other correspondents that a level for retirement complexes has been more than reached (and I’m elderly myself). On the other hand, I believe that the time for a cinema is passed, and that it would spend a lot of time empty.
I would urge councillors to think very carefully before making huge mistakes.

John Rogers
2 years ago

Bit rich for the council to be concerned over the impression given to visitors arriving in Lichfield. Is this the same council that arranged for the primary Birmingham Road entrance to the city to be dominated by a pile of hardcore and ghastly hoardings following its appalling incompetence over Friarsgate?

Richard
2 years ago

Maria, that’s a pretty powerful comment there and incredibly ageist. Everywhere is for everyone in this country, young and old. It is discriminatory and quite offensive to claim a specific location is no longer suitable for an age group. As someone else has stated, I hope your comment is meant in jest or as some I’ll fated attempt at comedy.

Ken H
2 years ago

I think Cllr Doug Pullen is right there will miles to much car parking provision once the flats are built and if the cinema gets built and somebody running it, you would be able to get there but not back, no late night buses.
So I think he has solved the problems, so with all the retirement places being built, all that will be needed is good routes for mobility scooters around the town.
I do not visit Lichfield much how it as gone now will be even less soon

PO
2 years ago

As someone who really only ever drives into town for a wander around B&M, Iceland and occasionally Wilcos, on average spending £20+ per visit. With limited mobilty I tend to park on the B&M carpark but even that requires generally driving around the carpark for a while waiting for a space to become available or shopping at 9am. So I’m not sure where this idea of ‘easy’ to find carparking spaces comes from.

If Cllr Pullen thinks the multistorey is ugly then I’d be interested to find out what he thinks an attractive multistorey looks like?. Although it just reeks of saying things to suit HIS agenda, not the agenda of the majority of the comments so far. But you can bet your last penny he won’t comment.

Unfortunately Cllr Pullen and his cronies have achieved the objective of converting me to shopping in Eastern Avenue B&M and Food Warehouse. I think it’s a sad state of affairs after being born and living in Lichfield for the past 58 years, but I’ve never known such ‘random planning decisions’, I curtailed my language or this comment wouldn’t get published. But I think if I worked in any way, shape or form with planning in Lichfield then I’d be ashamed to show my face also.

So good luck Lichfield, I do hope you get something useful built in the town centre, and maybe some form of leisure centre, but I will stick with my Eastern Avenue shopping now – hassle free parking and no dearer in the shops than town.

Andrew Faulkner
2 years ago

As someone born and bred in Burntwood I feel that I speak for a lot of us taxpayers in the outlying towns and villages that pay council tax to LDC only to see it constantly squandered on Lichfield City. Renovations, amenities, millions wasted on buckling and uneven paved roads and footpaths. While we can’t even get our potholes fixed! Pullen and his brown nosers only care about Lichfield and stuff the rest of us!

Fact Czecher
2 years ago

Can we get beyond this myth that Burntwood’s potholes don’t get filled in because Lichfield District Council spends money on Lichfield city centre. Roads (and potholes) are the remit of Staffordshire County Council. Therefore Andrew Faulkner, chances are your pothole pounds are being spent in Stafford.
That’s before we even discuss the fact that Lichfield has roads littered with ditches and potholes, but don’t let facts get in the way of Burntwood martyrdom as usual.

Andrew Faulkner
2 years ago

@ fact czecher – there speaks a privileged Lichfield resident if I ever heard one!

David
2 years ago

While we are on the subject of ugly buildings, I personally think the multi-storey car park and flats development at The Friary is an abomination and doesn’t offer a pleasant vista into the City. The Premier Inn and the ground floor retail units with apartments above are very unimaginative; are there any plans to raze those?

Alica Fibmerchant
2 years ago

It is Staffs County Council who are responsible for the roads. In fairness to them, the roads are pretty much appalling right across the county so they are at least consistent in their approach to road maintenance. Agreed on the fact that Burntwood is in need of investment just as much as Lichfield is though.

Alica Fibmerchant
2 years ago

Ps – pretty much every building built in the last decade in Lichfield is ugly. The new old people homes – ugly. The new police station – ugly. The corner by the telephone exchange- ugly. The new developments on Rotten Row – ugly. The new extension at Netherstowe – ugly. We are fast becoming the city of the old and the ugly. We used to be so young and attractive. Where did it all go wrong?

Gordon
2 years ago

Pre Covid it was often a nightmare to park in Lichfield in the daytime. Perhaps Mr. Pullen will tell us where all the empty spaces are to be found once things get back to normal. Can we use those at the council house? What are the views of traders/employers on the proposal to destroy the multistorey ? NO PARKING – NO LICHFIELD except for elderly residents.

Ken H
2 years ago

The supposedly ugly multi storey car park was built in the same era as the precinct, so will that eventfully go go as well.
But none of it will be as ugly as the flats they build, will they have parking, will they be able to dry their washing
If buildings were built in front of it would not be seen.
The car park and bus station would get more use if you didn’t have to dodge the traffic to exit it, could do with traffic lights linked to pedestrian crossing lights
How is it a county council problem to provide a new bus station when Lichfield council rip it up, will they put where they want to

Andrea Allan
2 years ago

Which car parks are half empty throughout the day? Please tell us to save us going from one to another looking for a space. Visitors will not be encouraged to come to Lichfield if they can’t park their car at a reasonable price

Johnneo
2 years ago

This car park is long overdue for demolition due to the restricted
manoeuvrability it gives you because of the concrete stanchions. However it should be replaced with a more modern design which can accommodate the wider modern vehicles.

Ken H
2 years ago

If the the multi-storey car park is demolished and bus station done away with, will the mature trees screening them the left and protected along road
When Cllr Doug Pullen says some of the car parks don’t enough, does he realise that you loose half an hour of your time getting there and back, plus your time going to the car park and the under ground one at Cross Key’s if you go down the steps you would think you were going to the toilets by the smell
I don’t think he uses them

Ken H
2 years ago

In reply to Andrew Faulkner it is Staffordshire County Council who is responsible for roads and pavements, as is the proof that they are ripping up our only decent piece of road and pavement to put a cycle way in on Milestone Way and changing crossing lights. The number 5 route as never run there
I do not suppose they will do the potholes while they are on to the way to Morrisons and Mc Donalds in the road
They have never finished the main road off, lack of money, no footpath or cycle lane here, the road a death trap to cycle on.
It does not matter though nothing to go to Lichfield for