MAINTENANCE at Lichfield’s multi-storey car park is set to cost £750,000.
A report to a recent meeting of Lichfield District Council’s cabinet outlined the need for funding for “essential” repairs to the Friary Outer facility.
Built in 2013, the car park is now the city’s only multi-storey following the demolition of the one on Birmingham Road as part of a wider redevelopment scheme.
The issue of additional funding for maintenance at the Friary Outer was challenged by Cllr Steve Norman, chair of the overview and scrutiny committee, at a meeting of the council this week.
As well as a £500,000 budget allocation, he cited a document bidding for additional capital funding of £250,000 to carry out work in order to “retain the structural integrity” of the car park. It added that while issues have been noted in recent years “no intervention has taken place, meaning the requirement for maintenance has grown”.
Cllr Norman said:
“It’s a matter of the £500,000 we’ve suddenly got to find very quickly.
“In January this wasn’t mentioned to overview and scrutiny, but 14 days later we’re having to spend it. I wonder why we weren’t told that? What went wrong? How can it be so sudden?”
“It doesn’t make any sense.”
Cllr Doug Pullen, leader of Lichfield District Council, said that budget setting would always be an evolving process.
He explained:
“It’s regrettable that it wasn’t brought to overview and scrutiny, but I don’t think it was purposeful.
“The budgeting process is a living, breathing process that doesn’t get fixed at a point in time and does move around.
“In terms of when I first knew [about the car park funding], certainly in the last few weeks, but not in the past few years. I can dig out exact communication I had and share that, but I certainly have not known about the issue for several years.
“Clearly the remedial works or the preventative work that needs doing to the car park is of high importance for us.”
Labour opposition group leader Cllr Sue Woodward said the additional £750,000 now being allocated to the car park meant answers were needed on the ongoing cost of the car park.
She said:
“There are questions still to be answered on this issue. Why wasn’t it dealt with sooner? Who knew and when? What dealings has the council had with the original contractor? Is any of this covered by insurance?
“Last night, opposition councillors proposed to spend £100,000 for promoting and enhancing facilities for young people which the Conservatives initially opposed.
“They were arguing against allocating a fraction – less than a seventh of the amount they nodded through for these car park repairs. I think they need to reassess their priorities.”
Cllr Phil Whitehouse, Conservative cabinet member for operational services, parks and waste, said the works would “future-proof” the facility:
“Following a routine structural inspection in 2025, a programme of maintenance works has been identified for the steel framework of The Friary multi-storey car park which will take place over the next two years.
“The car park remains safe and operational, and the works will protect and future-proof it for years to come.
“The work entails shotblasting the paintwork back to bare steel and then priming and repainting.
“A budget provision of £750,000 has been allocated to cover the complete programme of improvements over the coming years, which will be undertaken in phases, allowing the car park to remain open as much as possible while sections are addressed in turn.
“We’ll update car park users ahead of each programme of works.”
