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# More must be done to explain to residents why park is best place for new Lichfield leisure centre, councillors told
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/more-must-be-done-to-explain-to-residents-why-park-is-best-place-for-new-lichfield-leisure-centre-councillors-told/
- Published: 2022-05-19T06:55:26.000Z
- Updated: 2022-05-19T06:55:34.000Z
- Description: Councillors have been told more must be done to explain to residents why a park in Lichfield is the most appropriate site for a new leisure centre.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Politics, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 19:11, News

Councillors have been told more must be done to explain to residents why a park in Lichfield is the most appropriate site for a new leisure centre.

Lichfield District Council approved the appropriation of Stychbrook Park as the location for the long-term replacement for Friary Grange Leisure Centre.

The step – which is a regulatory one – will allow the local authority to progress with the proposals ahead of a potential planning application in future.

But Cllr Dave Robertson, Labour member for Curborough, told a meeting of the council that residents were still not hearing answers to why a leisure centre could not be built on other sites across the city.

> “I’m on the task group looking at this and I know a lot of work has gone into identifying the most appropriate site.  
>  
> “But the communications team hasn’t done a good enough job of reaching out to residents, because when things about this are covered in the media there are continual comments underneath about using different sites.  
>  
> “The primary driver on why we cannot use brownfield sites is a matter of ownership and cost – if we don’t own the site it’s going to make it utterly financially unviable.  
>  
> “It is vital we reach out to the community to explain why it is going on a space that is currently green.”  
>  
> Cllr Dave Robertson, Lichfield District Council

A number of other locations have been highlighted by local residents on *Lichfield Live*, including the former Friarsgate land.

But Cllr Robertson said this site would not be suitable..

> “There are significant questions about viability of leisure centre on the Birmingham Road site, not least because it’s in a conservation area and opposite a listed building.  
>  
> “We are all aware of this, the task group are aware of this, but we have got to do a better job at reaching out to the community to make sure the decision and drivers to put that development on Stychbrook Park is clear.  
>  
> “No matter how many times I’ve asked for this, it doesn’t appear to have happened – I’ve never seen that work outlining to residents that the reasons we can’t use Birmingham Road site or other sites are down to matters of ownership and affordability.  
>  
> “There are people who are concerned about green space as we all are, but we do have a response for it that explains how this is very much the least worst option.  
>  
> “We have to be up front with residents and clear about the reasons we are doing this.”  
>  
> Cllr Dave Robertson, Lichfield District Council

Cllr Doug Pullen, leader at Lichfield District Council, said that while things could improved, efforts had been made to reach out to residents on the new leisure centre plans.

> “We have always got work to do on communications.  
>  
> “Every four years we get told people have never received a letter even though we’ve put leaflets through their letterboxes.  
>  
> “It’s always an uphill struggle, but we’ve written to all homes that back on to Stychbrook Park.”  
>  
> Cllr Doug Pullen, Lichfield District Council