More than 100 people have attended workshops to give their views on plans for pedestrianisation in Lichfield city centre.
The sessions were hosted by Lichfield District Council’s chief executive Simon Fletcher last month and saw suggestions of how the scheme could be adapted in future.
The workshops were held after the changes drew criticism from blue badge holders and local businesses.
Mr Fletcher said:
“I was very grateful for the contributions from the attendees, both in terms of helping understand the impact the experimental traffic order is having on some people and the potential adaptations to the scheme that were proposed through the work the groups did on the night.
“I will be sharing a report with Lichfield District Council members including the themes and suggestions for how the scheme could be adapted to make it more manageable for some groups of people.
“Together with our residents and businesses we will work to find a solution that is practical and achievable.
“A second workshop, which the leader of Lichfield District Council will attend, will be held and we will share our findings. Invitations to this will be sent out to everyone who attended last month’s workshop and to anyone else in the district who would like to attend.”
Simon Fletcher, Lichfield District Council
Information on the additional workshops will be shared in due course, a council spokesperson said.
“Safe, welcoming and accessible to all”
The issue of pedestrianisation is likely to be high on the agenda when councillors meet in the coming weeks for the first time since the local authority moved to no overall control.
The Conservatives – who remain the largest group at Lichfield District Council although they do not have a full majority – have already said they intend to continue to pursue the pedestrianisation of the city centre, but have conceded that some changes may need to be made.
Cllr Janice Silvester-Hall, the group’s spokesperson for high streets and the local economy, said:
“Pedestrianised areas can make a huge improvement to the city centre environment and are associated with higher footfall, longer visitor dwell times and lower store vacancy rates.
“There have recently been two well-attended workshops, specifically for city centre business owners and blue badge holders to also explore solutions to the issues that we know some people are facing.
“We are now actively looking at options to ensure our city centre remains safe, welcoming and accessible to all.”
Cllr Janice Silvester-Hall, Lichfield District Council
Cllr Sue Woodward, leader of the Labour opposition group, said her party would be pushing for a review of the pedestrianisation proposals.
“I think Cllr Silvester-Hall needs to wake up to the new reality that her party does not have overall control of the council any more and that this is one of the policies that needs review.
“No longer will the Conservatives be able to push through policies without listening to alternative voices.
“The principle is fine, but the detail needs a long, hard look – and I shall certainly be asking for that to happen.”
Cllr Sue Woodward, Lichfield District Council
