People are being asked to help shape the future of land earmarked for development in Lichfield city centre.
The Birmingham Road site – previously the location for the failed Friarsgate scheme – has seen proposals for a mixed use scheme featuring food and beverage, offices and housing drawn up.
Lichfield District Council has brought in urban design specialists Create Streets to engage with communities in a bid to draw on their knowledge of “designing places that are beautiful and sustainable while challenging poor quality development”.
Events have already taken place, including a survey and drop-in sessions, but a new feedback initiative is taking place where people can give their views on the city centre development in a dedicated room at Lichfield District Council’s headquarters at Frog Lane – with the responses helping to shape the design of the site.
David Milner, deputy director at Create Streets, said:
“We are delighted to be involved in helping with the design of new houses, apartments, business premises and new streets on the Birmingham Road site.
“Considering how beautiful the centre of Lichfield is, there is a generational opportunity to match its rich character, make the city more beautiful and create a first impression of Lichfield, as you step off the train, that we are all proud of.
“We believe that you, the residents who live in Lichfield and know it best, should play a fundamental part in this process and hope you will give your views at District Council House.”
David Milner, Create Streets
District Council House is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. The room where views can be registered is on the right following access through the first set of sliding doors at the entrance to the building.
More houses GREAT! With lack of facilities for amount of Houses in Lich! Swear Council taking backhanders from development Companies! Stinks.
So those of us who work Monday to Friday have no opportunity to offer a view. Great.
AGAIN…. I know how about some open space to compensate for the saturation of new build on previous open spaces that will come back to haunt LDC & future generations
Lawns,flowerbeds and a lake
I can think of nothing that has been built in the central area of Lichfield in the last 50 years that has enhanced the character or beauty of Lichfield. It is very unlikely, in this period of economic uncertainty and tightening of public and private purse strings, that further commercial and residential developments at this time will achieve that desired objective. The best, and most affordable option, would be to create and maintain an attractive botanical gardens. A green and pleasant welcome to Lichfield. A place for quiet contemplation and relaxation. This, together with enhancement of the bus station facilities and tidying up the immediate frontage area of the City railway station would significantly improve that corner of the City centre and work well with the adjacent ancient St John’s Hospice frontage
However, I suspect more architectural tat like the 1970s precinct is what we will end up with.
Here we go now the build plan for house’s & apartments begins !!! We know that’s what LDC want and no matter what they pretend about asking our views we will end up with housing or some shape or form !!! Nobody in Lichfield wants these apart from LDC
No buildings or houses AT ALL on that spot. We need a beautiful garden area and perhaps lake, but noone at LDC will listen as I suspect it’s not where they want.
If they need apartments so desperately, why don’t they convert the Frog Lane offices and they can all work from home (as most currently do)
I’ll be attending the office to make my views, but will be on deaf ears, I suspect.
“ new streets on the Birmingham Road site” New streets? Has David Milner seen the site? Its’s barely large enough for one street.
I have a great idea how about a monorail station and depot it could run from the train station around the city through the park stopping at car parks, coffee shops and retirement flats, it would of course be free of charge and so cut pollution and enhance the lives of all the residents of Lichfield only a good con person, sorry sales person would be required to con sorry convince our councillors to approve the idea.
Sarcasm is best served fresh.
Why is this consultation even taking place? Councillor Doug Pullen promised us visible progress by the end of last year. “If it doesn’t happen it will be on my shoulders” he said. Where is he now, he has suddenly gone very quiet. He promised a lot and delivered nothing. Another failed politician.
NO! NO! NO! Not Housing.NO Eateries, ….
Green Space Please, perhaps with Water Feature and Shrubbery, Play Area,? .
Station tidy, but do not take away the original frontage.
Is the Bus Station going elsewhere ??
So much change in the Pipeline or on the Back Burner.
Our old City is full of destruction.
LDC appear they cannot see the Wood for the Trees. Aimlessly stating on a Daily Basis so many changes..
Perhaps a good idea to complete one decent Project first. At the moment none have progressed beyond just debating and stagnating.
I thought LDC had a plan for the Birmingham Road site because Mr Pullen said work would start by the end of last year! So the Council are going to waste more of the rate payers money on more consultants!
For my pennies worth, let’s have a nice Green Space, trees shrubs a nice little cafe on the edge next to a revamped bus station, alas I a rate payer so the Council will not listen. They will build what they think is best more little boxes made out of ticcy tacky that all look the same.
Open green space is an absolute must. A nice park. Anything else LDC comes up with will be awful and you can guarantee that.
Link to the survey ?
Something to compliment the new cinema and the Garrick, a entertainment area, escape room, laser tag, bowling, soft play, sixes cricket, add in bars and restaurants, live music venue, and a outdoor space for the summer months. Make it the beating heart of city, amd it will compliment all the traditional elements.
Obviously pedestrianise the entire lot !!
I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it…
Let’s use some imagination!
It could be something truly special for both residents and visitors. It could be a flexible space used for a variety of purposes.
https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/2021/08/10/lichfield-councillor-wants-to-see-more-imagination-after-calls-for-housing-to-built-on-city-centre-site/
It won’t be though. It will end up as houses.
Utter fabrication, no one’s ideas will be used, you are just being told that you have some input.
It keeps you sweet if you think you have a day in it.
Where did the friars gate fund go?
What about the state of the roads?
What about the empty shops we already have?
Fabricant and Fabricated are one in the same.
Please, no ‘escape room, laser tag, bowling, soft play, sixes cricket’. This is Lichfield, not Blackpool (or Tamworth).
A simple answer Cllr Pullen, that of course you and all LDC Cllrs will fail to listen to: put the swimming pool on there and NOT on green field parkland. There is adequate space including a revamped bus station. This option would of had a better chance for levelling up funds. No vision, no planning, just clueless and incompetent.
I have a 15 year old, please provide a space for them to “hang out” and be teenagers!
Whats the point in giving our views? LDC will look at them (if they do) then go with what THEY want.
Oh yeah lets put housing on the busiest road in the city causing havoc during the building and adding a vast amount of traffic when finished. Do these counselors have brain’s.
No more retirement apartments PLEASE!!
Time to stop dithering and do something..!! Anything would be an improvement.
Anon there are plenty of pubs for 15 year olds to hang around in in Lichfield
I’d like to see a massive retirement complex built. Maximising every square inch of the plot with as many tiny expensive flats as possible. Don’t even leave room for a pavement. Build right up to the edge of the road. Make it 60 floors high too. I’m asking for this because as a local rate payer I think that if you ask for something from LDC they will do the opposite which is turn the area into a beautifully landscaped public garden.
Why not have a lovely open space with flower bed borders grass, bushes a few trees. Nothing better than to sit and watch nature birds insects while waiting for your bus to arrive . Simple!
Build a multi purpose hall as Lichfield only has the garrick, guildhall and small church halls.
Yes but think about all those people from Birmingham that want to relocate to Lichfield but can’t because there aren’t enough houses. Don’t you think you are all being a little bit selfish with your botanic garden and lakes aspirations? Brummies have rights to you know!
Please please please no more houses or apartments lets make it into something that promotes the status of a cathedral city like Lichfield.
If it does succumb to the ridiculous pace of bad housing in Lichfield and the surrounding areas then the smell of bribery will hang over our non elected planners
I think they are after the answer they want, working people or disabled if they can’t park close by, cant have any input into plans so will be bit one sided.
Will we see any plans or models of what they are trying do.
Well this will be the third time of commenting on the usage of this land on 20 years and nothing ever comes to fruition.
Why are they now talking about putting housing there? For the love of food there is so much housing being built are around the city, none of which is for 1 bed by the way. What Lichfield needs is something to make people stay there for a night out. Bowling Alley, Silly golf, something fun to do for the younger generation. Restaurants, Evening Cafe’s. Options for small unique business to start up and flourish without stupidly high rents.
I know Debenhams is supposed to be becoming a Cinema but again when it’s open i’ll believe it. Come on council think about keeping the business, people and money in Lichfield instead having to go elsewhere.
I may have been mistaken, it could have been a mirage, but as I passed the site today, I thought I could see a digger type machine behind the hoarding and it looked as if the gate was unlocked, anybody confirm my sighting
Not sure what it could be doing as we have not decided what to do with the site yet, unless its another Council secret
The cinema is a bad idea. The proposition of a new cinema is appealing but i think it will be more trouble than it’s worth, attracting groups of asbo teens from outside of lichfield like the ones who enjoy the mcdonalds so much.
houses ,apartments or more accommodation is not needed or wanted by locals. Lichfield has doubled in size over the last two decades with poorly planned estates and capitalized architecture.
The space should be something positive like a artisans square.
a green space will just attract more dirty dog walkers who do not clean up after there dogs or kids (Disgusting)