The owner of a shoe shop in Lichfield fears the business could be killed off by planned changes to the city centre.
Adam Lumb’s family have run Friary Shoes for almost 120 years, but its current shop on in the Three Spires shopping centre is one of six units the council is taking over as part of its Birmingham Road development plans.
Mr Lumb said they found on Facebook that nearby shops will be knocked down to make way for a link through to the site where the bus station currently stands.
He said:
“The multi-storey car park is going to be knocked down as well – it’s going to be a big open space to get ready for the Birmingham Road project.
“We have had several conversations with our current landlord and Lichfield District Council over the last couple of weeks.
“We’ve been reassured that our building and next door to us are not going to be knocked down in the first phase. I don’t know if they’re going to be knocked down later.”
Adam Lumb
The lease has five years remaining, and Mr Lumb said he has been told nothing will happen to the building in that time.
He hopes to continue trading at the site, but says it is unclear whether he’ll be able to renew the lease beyond 2028.
“We’ve got five years left on our lease, so nothing is going to happen to us within those five years – that’s what we’ve been promised.
“The last thing we thought was going to happen was they were going to demolish the building.
“It’s still very much up in the air. There’s just a lot of uncertainty.”
Adam Lumb
Mr Lumb said he hopes the council won’t turf them out due to the heritage of Friary Shoes and the fact it has been owned by the same family for longer than any other retailer in the city.
He added that the uncertainty was proving distressing for employees and members of his family.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of history there and we attract a lot of footfall – particularly at this time of year when it’s back to school.
“Since we found out a month or two ago that this is going to happen, it’s been so distressing because it’s been in my family all that time.
“I spoke to my mother, she’s 81, and she was distraught about what’s going to happen.
“As a business we’ve gone through two world wars, we’ve gone through covid and we’ve gone through recession – hopefully the council aren’t going to put us out of business.
“We are in discussions, but it has been very distressing for us and for the 34 staff we currently have.
“The most distressing part is finding out, not through anyone from the council coming to see us but just basically finding out on Facebook.
“We’ve since had meetings and they’ve apologised to us, but if they’d come to us in the first place and involved us in the whole process that would’ve been a lot better.
Adam Lumb
A spokesperson for Lichfield District Council confirmed there are no current plans to demolish the unit – and that it is currently negotiating an exchange of leases in order to progress with its plans.
“There are no current plans to demolish the unit currently leased by Friary Shoes.
“Lichfield District Council is negotiating the exchange of the leasehold of that unit – and five others in the row -for part of the freehold for the Three Spires site.
“The exchange will enable four of the units, currently let on short term leases, to be demolished, to create a ‘break-through’ to the wider Birmingham Road site.
“The council has recently met with the owners of Friary Shoes and confirmed their lease, which runs to 2028, is not affected by those proposals.”
Lichfield District Council spokesperson
The council’s bungling on this redevelopment, starting with the closing down and demolition of Kenning’s thriving garage business, demonstrates an appalling level of corporate ineptitude. Does anyone on the council scrutinise what’s going on? I thought there were supposed to be scrutiny committees?
I live locally and have spoken to/heard comments from visitors when walking up that part of the precinct. Comments that Lichfield has more shops and variety than some adjacent towns- it’s an easy route through past shops on way to station etc.
There has been a resurgence in that area recently and footfall seems good. It is a pity especially as there is a new business recently opened on that row.
Maybe the empty unit lower down would be appropriate for the shoe shop. How can they be expected to plan for seasonal business and future under such a shaky business environment.
I understand some of the points of this change and look forward to a visually, socially strong result soon. After long long planning stage work should be done as quickly and sympathetically as possible so that business and local residents can move forward. I would expect the council to support such a long standing , family business through this development stage as a matter of urgency.
And once all the redevelopment has been completed, all shops & businesses at the top of the precinct will be in the best prime location.
So that means the Council are knocking down the beautiful gift shop and Ministry, two of the better shops in Lichfield. I hope they will be offered other suitable premises?? Absolutely outrageous.
Tip for LDC – Be really really really very really totally very really certain that you have the money to do what you want to do after demolishing things. Imagine how stupid you’d look if you demolished something then realised you didn’t have the money to build anything in its place.
Oh come on, let’s face it – anything old & this Council wants to eliminate it, be it people, businesses, buildings or anything else.
Lichfield district council have a total disregard for all local business/shops. Lichfield at the moment is complimented with a fantastic selection of independent , often superb family run businesses . Visitors praise is often heard. Just look at other towns who are in a terrible state. Lichfield is not broken it does not need fixing! Please Lichfield council this obsession with a new cinema etc is now becoming laughable especially as cinemas are struggling to be profitable!
@Hugo, I agree with your premises, but my experience is that it falls on deaf ears with LDC. I am very concerned about what LDC are buying into with these “deals” with Evolve Estates and a cinema operator. Down the line where does risk fall? Are we selling the family silver?
These developers know LDC are in a hole and are desperate which is a terrible negotiating position.
Similar story with the pool, they’ve told the contractor how much they have to spend! Also, month by month that figure is being eaten into, so the specs have to fall to accommodate. You can sing for those solar panels and heat pumps.
The Councillors’ living doesn’t depend on these contracts, they should ask themselves would they risk their own capital?
If the multi story car park is going, where are people going to park, especially if you are attending events at the theatre?
If I was the Friary shoe I would be worried, because that’s the first or second part to done.
They spent money on an Animation, showing in all in the phases, going to be all finished by 2027.
Like Ross of Lichfield Live said, don’t think the left hand knows what the right hand doing.
Who are we ment to believe
Or is all a pie in the sky dream, but it’s peoples businesses that are affected and Lichfield.