A COUNCILLOR says revised plans for Lichfield’s bus station will cause “big problems”.
Drawings submitted by Lichfield District Council as part of wider proposals for the site off Birmingham Road show a smaller facility with a reduced number of stands.
The plans have already drawn criticism from members of the Liberal Democrat group.
If approved, the scheme would see the station reduced in size to make room for a compound linked to the housing development on the former Tempest Ford plot.
But Cllr Matthew Wallens, Reform UK representative for Curborough, said the proposals would impact the city’s efforts to draw in visitors.
He said:
“I’ve looked at the new Lichfield bus station plans and they are not good at all.
“They’re talking about redesign, improvements, making it all look nice etc, but at the same time they’re cutting back on coach and bus parking. It doesn’t make sense.
“It’s the kind of thing that sounds great in a meeting room, but in the real world? Big problems.
“Lichfield is a cathedral city. We get visitors lots of them and many come by coach. If you make it harder for coaches, they won’t come. They’ll go somewhere else. That means less footfall, less business, less money in the city.”
Cllr Wallens added that changes would impact those helping to bring in visitors too.
He said:
“What about the drivers? Nobody seems to be talking about that, but they need proper places to stop. To rest is not optional, it’s required.
“It just feels like the basics haven’t been thought through. You can dress it up however you like, but if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.
“We should be supporting tourism and supporting local business not making things harder.”
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