A councillor says revamped plans to pedestrianise Lichfield city centre feel “rushed”.
Lichfield District Council has rowed back on full pedestrianisation after a backlash from businesses and blue badge holders.
As a result a new “hybrid” part-time scheme has been put forward.
It will mean some vehicles will be permitted Monday to Wednesday, with the previous restrictions in place on all other days.
Cllr Steve Norman, who chairs Lichfield District Council’s overview and scrutiny committee said that despite being reassured that other towns had similar arrangements, no examples have been provided.
The Labour councillor said:
“I had not found any similar schemes before the meeting where we interviewed the cabinet member for high streets and visitor economy – and officers – but I was told there were and that I would be sent links.
“After chasing this offer up, I was sent info on other schemes but none that effectively banned blue badge holders from pedestrianised area on four days of the week.
“It was of concern to members because of the confusion this would cause to visitors, especially tourists, and pedestrians who would need to remind themselves as to whether it was a car-free day or not before crossing a road.
“I challenged this and was then told that they were not aware of ‘any schemes that are exactly comparable’.”
Cllr Steve Norman, Lichfield District Council
The revamped pedestrianisation scheme – which began on the same day as the overview and scrutiny committee met this week – sees blue badge and permit holders able to access city centre roads from Monday until midnight on Wednesday.
But from Thursday to Sunday the restrictions on traffic from midday onwards will remain in place.
Cllr Norman said:
“We were not able to give our views as a committee before it was implemented. It seemed rushed to me.
“I proposed that we have a task group of members look at this single issue of pedestrianisation in Lichfield – in particular how blue badge holders are going to be affected and this was supported.”
Cllr Steve Norman, Lichfield District Council
There are only two answers to this question Yes or No. Therefore can the council print some ballot papers with those two answers only and get them
completed at the their next meeting and we can all move on from this?!
If a half way house solution is the preferred option then the question isn’t pedestrianisation is it!
Do you have a better idea Steve?
@Cllr Steve Norman, I could offer you many examples of blue badge holders being banned from parking & driving through into town centres for various reasons from across the nation heres a few, York, Westfield and Oxford.
Stop jumping on this nonsense band wagon and wake up from the 90s its the year 2023 Cllr Norman. Commonsense preveils not this stupidty from the council trying to come to a compromise to stop this wagon of moaning and trying to just force your own way pathetic accuses they carry no merit. The majority of the population in Lichfield want our city centre to be clean, attractive and safe but your wanting the opposite Cllr Norman.
Monday to Wednesday allows blu e badge holders to enter the town centre however, the signage at the bottom of Tamworth Street has not been updated so any visitors to city will not be aware of the latest change and and as for the tourists, no chance.Wherever I go in this country,I stick to what it says on the signposts.
This is quite illuminating. So no other schemes have been found that ban blue badge holders accessing the town/city centre for four days a week? Does this give a lie to the whataboutery spouted by some people regarding blue badge access elsewhere? The plot thickens. Well done to Cllr Norman for questioning this.
Surely the original decision to suspend the disabled parking and then instigate a pedestrianisation scheme without any proper consultation with residents or businesses was “rushed”?
Every decision since then, including this stupid hybrid scheme, has simply made a bad situation worse.
The same easily applies to Birmingham Road, the cinema, multi-storey car park, aqua sports on Stowe Pool, the leisure centre and anything else that has been happening for the last few years.
Can someone honestly tell me that the entire economy of Lichfield is driven by disabled people? There is plenty of disabled parking within a very short distance of the town centre, (majority of the time underused.) Let’s just bite the bullet and pedestrianize the whole area. Can any disabled person honestly say I can only go to Lichfield to get what I need. Am I plying Devil’s Advocate? – Yes! But let’s get the conversation going.
Clare Charles – not sure you can say the Birmingham Road / Cinema scheme is rushed? It’s now over 5 years since the first part of this site was cleared! Get on with it I say!
Why do we elect people who can’t stand up and have an opinion and make a decision here we are again councillors running around scared to upset people incase it makes themselves look bad pathetic
I’ve lived in Lichfield for about 5 years and been going to Lichfield regularly for about 25. I’ve only ever walked in the city centre. I’ve seen some accidents caused by mobility scooters (why do they make them capable of going so fast?) and littering/anti social behaviour mostly by youths or groups on a night out, but haven’t noticed equivalent issues with cars or their drivers. Sure, pedestrianisation will make it easier to sit outside a cafe or restaurant, weather permitting. But I’m also a bit concerned that this push hasn’t been thought through, as other types of local businesses also need as much support and accessibility as they can get right now, and this could do more harm than good.
Local Man, It’s good to see that you are the “majority” voice of commonsense in Lichfield there to defend Lichfieldans from the pathetic moaning minority of disabled folk, you want Lichfield to be clean, attractive and safe, no disabled people, no compromise.
However the council and councillors like Steve Norman work with the whole community, it’s not stupidity it is called compromise, consulting with all, there are laws and acts in place around equality and disability they have to adhere to, but you already know that, you are the “majority”.
Fortunately it is 2023 and we have moved on from the 1930’s.
Good on LDC councillors that maintain the checks and balances.
@stevo – I meant more that we get loads of updates and promises and nothing happens. Rushed announcements, like the leader saying we would see “visible progress” on the site by the end of 2022 are not just a farce but show they think we are idiots who can be persuaded that LDC knows exactly what it is doing.
@ D A, The vast majority of the shops in the town centre of Lichfield are not fit for moblity scooters or even zimmer frames. So i very much doubt this is going to be effected any different then already is.
I also see Cllr Norman has chosen not to reply when we all know that he reads the comment sections on articles that include him.
Why ho why did you not offer the people who put you in office a vote on this touchy subject.I think we all know the answer to that.It might have saved a few precious pounds instead of the long drawn out mess it has become.Very unhappy voter, even though it does not seem to matter who we vote for or why.