LICHFIELD District Council’s leader has hit back at claims plans to redevelop a gateway to the city centre are “unimaginative”.
The Birmingham Road Site project will see land previously earmarked for the failed Friarsgate scheme become a mixed use development.
A portion of the site plot will be used for residential purposes – but Cllr Paul Ray, leader of the Lib Dems opposition group on Lichfield District Council, has questioned the proposals coming forward.
He said:
“I and the Lichfield Lib Dems strongly support the development of the Birmingham Road Site – it is such an important site in the centre of our city.
“We do need to move the development forward, but we have long said that the current plans are unimaginative and the council can do so much better.
“The original objective was to make the Birmingham Road Site a place of impact and style given it is a gateway into the city. The proposed plans just do not achieve that.
“A block of flats is proposed along the Birmingham Road where the bus station is currently. The original plans had this as public open space where people could meet with perhaps a water feature, parkland or performing arts space. Instead what is planned is a block of 100 flats.
“The Lichfield Lib Dems say that this plan is simply just not right for Lichfield.
“It is so unimaginative and just creates big blocks of housing in the centre of our beautiful city.
“We will continue to campaign for a better plan for residents. Lichfield can do so much better.”
But Cllr Doug Pullen, leader of Lichfield District Council said his Lib Dem counterpart was wide of the mark.
He said:
“Cllr Ray is simply wrong – there are no blocks of flats planned for the site.
“We are currently focused on finalising the contracts for the former Tempest Ford site – a scheme which has gained national attention for its sympathetic architecture – and the Linear Park, which is a much-needed green space that will dissect the site and provide clear wayfinding into the city for those arriving by train.”
A clear way of finding a way into the citu from the train station? It’s not a huge place and all roads lead to the city. 20 years ago we were promised a vibrant interesting place. Now it’s a grassed areas with a couple of trees. Have to agree very uninspiring
I notice the bus station has disappeared in this plan. Also that the small amount of housing seems to dominate the site. In fact practically everything we were afraid would happen.
You should really not be doing this to an iconic city. I simply do not understand Cllr. Pullen’s relentless quest to promote such a development.
The council has spent fortunes on designs and reports over the last decade and this is the result! SHAMEFUL.
Perhaps the local primary schools could give them a hand with original ideas?
In the meantime, how about re-erecting or replacing the fallen hoardings, which have been down for weeks and or re-covering them completely as they have faded and are looking terribly shabby. What a sight to greet visitors to the city.
As I suspected, our present council do not have an ounce of common sense among them! You want people to visit Lichfield, and yet more parking spaces are vanishing and even more importantly for us, the bus station has vanished! Wise up councillors if you want to retain your seats at the next local election!
Phillip. I suspect they want the bus station on the car park at Bird Street or failing that on street. So we have lost a Police Station and presence in the City Centre, a garage and business and now the bus station. Idling non LEZ compliant Charabancs and anti social behaviour around the Minster Pool to come. There was a reason the Police station was next to the bus station originally.
All for housing. Interestingly with Reform running the CC do they have control over transport and the bus station at the moment?
Do people want live on a thoroughfare? Will it all end up as buy to let?
Very uninspiring indeed, it’s just housing by the looks of it.
It looks very much like the bus station is going , crazy ! And also it appears the car park at the back of bus station will no longer be there, if that is the case then where will anyone park for the Garrick theatre and town in general, it will be the death of Lichfield , how could anybody not find their way into town from the train station. We really don’t need all of that housing , far to congested round Birmingham road.
My thoughts are , how about a nice green area on the Tempest ford site ,places to sit , with a nice cafe and some space for outdoor entertainment in the summer months , a bit like Russell square in London , a tranquil spot amongst the hustle and bustle of a busy day , that would be a better gateway to Lichfield, at the moment it looks like a highway to hell.
Why this obsession with building on the bus station? Leave it where it is – the other side of the road is too small and inappropriate!
This council seems to running short of ideas and has flatlined with all the new estates planned for the city if the plan is to make this a metropolitan city akin to Birmingham bigger vision is required for the city centre ? Bus station
Why don’t Mr.Doug Pullen ask Mike Wilcox for any ideas about fraisgate?. That person has alot to answer for about HIS vision for the development
“Unimaginative” is just one of the adjectives I would use for this. It fails to imagine what might happen to the Garrick and the proposed cinema without the parking that was lost when the multi-storey was demolished and without even the temporary parking the currently exists. It fails to imagine what problems there will be trying to fit a dozen buses and coaches on the tiny patch of ground outside the train station. Lichfield City Centre doesn’t need more flats. There are already a lot of unoccupied flats above shops and other disused properties in and around the centre, including half-filled retirement blocks. It does, however, need more parking and to hold on to its existing bus station.
The comments these Councillors come out with are incredulous, especially this pair. You must think residents have such short memories! Not long ago we were telling you what we did and didn’t want. Did you listen or even take note? No not once! Well some of us could have drawn up a plan as suggested to build the leisure centre, cinema and entertainment complex, utilising the multi storey and incorporating a transport hub bus station all on that site which would have been a complete regenerative change for the city centre. But alas no you wanted to take green parkland and ruin it for a monstrosity of a leisure centre in a residential area. Neither of you have any vision or sense and you just want a capital receipt to balance the books. The only reason the multi storey went was because you couldn’t sell the land for housing with it there. Dress it up how you want! The bit of grass you put down is a pathetic waste of tax payers money.
The bus station is perfectly placed at the moment, right where it is with pedestrian access to the city centre. Clearly none of the council members ever travel into the city by bus. Please, please, please leave the bus station alone!
I do not know what they will call this, in years to come
The Tudors was narrow alley ways, the Victorians, was back to back houses.
I do not know what they will call, these back to back flat areas, with no sunlight getting in, like the new houses they are building, what bit of garden they have, no thought of positioning for sunlight, just get as many as possible in.
No thought for peoples health and wellbeing
I often look at the hoardings around the Birmingham Road site and think ‘that looks like a nice place, I wonder where it is’.
Deepee should stick to I.T. Planning really not his forte!