Councillors will be warned that a U-Turn on the Friarsgate development could be problematic.
Work on the city centre project has been put back several times, with Lichfield District Council leader Mike Wilcox predicting a 2012 start date back in 2011.
But factors such as the financial downturn and one of the developers selling off their share in the scheme have created uncertainty over the timescale for the redevelopment.
The change of developers led Liberal Democrat City Councillor Ian Jackson to call for a “radical rethink” of the project, while the Beacon Street Area Residents’ Association has claimed the current scheme is “dead in the water”.
However, a report to the District Council’s overview and scrutiny committee meeting tomorrow (January 29) outlining the need for continued funding to sustain the project has revealed that backing away from Friarsgate would not be an easy move.
“The main alternative option is not to continue with the delivery of Friarsgate and to terminate the development agreement,” the report said. “This will mean that delivery of a retail/leisure development on this site is unlikely to come forward in the medium/long term.
“The mothballing of the scheme will also give the council a number of issues to deal with. Most notably this includes the issue of the structural condition of the multi-storey car park which underwent repair work to retain the structure until at least 2015.
“If the Friarsgate development did not go ahead, and it was found that additional repair works were required to the structure, this could have a significant cost to the council, not only in terms of monies to fund repair works but also on car parking within the city.
“There is a legal agreement with Orchard Street [owners of the Three Spires Shopping Centre] to provide the car parking spaces either in the existing multi storey car park or through a new car park.”
Should Lichfield District Council turn its back on Friarsgate or push on with the scheme? Have your say in the comments below…
