Plans have been submitted to demolish a multi-storey car park in Lichfield.
If approved, the scheme would see the Birmingham Road facility knocked down as part of Lichfield District Council’s proposed city centre development.
The site forms part of the land once earmarked for Friarsgate, now rebranded as the Birmingham Road Site.
A Lichfield District Council spokesperson said that planning application was a significant step in the delivery of long-awaited redevelopment in the city centre, which will also see a cinema created in the former Debenhams site adjoining the multi-storey facility.
“The demolition of the car park will mark the start of visible progress on the Birmingham Road site redevelopment which the Lichfield City Centre Masterplan commits to delivering by 2026.
“Ongoing collaboration with city centre design consultants and potential development partners will incorporate recent feedback from residents to create a city-gateway scheme that the entire community can take pride in.
“Discussions with development partners are progressing rapidly and a pre-planning application for the cinema scheme in the former Debenhams building within Three Spires shopping centre will be submitted shortly.”
Lichfield District Council spokesperson
The council spokesperson said the 1960s car park had already undergone “multiple rounds of extensive repairs and maintenance” in order to expand its lifespan.
They added that the local authority was confident that there was enough parking capacity across the city once the multi-storey was knocked down.
“In 2020, a comprehensive review of car park provisions in the city was conducted by highway and transportation consultants – the findings supported a parking and transport strategy aligned with the city centre Masterplan.
“The study revealed that compared to similar towns and cities, Lichfield has the third-highest number of car parking spaces in the city centre.
“User monitoring data indicated that the Birmingham Road multi-storey car park is underutilised and operating at an average capacity of only 26% over the year. The report further concluded that Lichfield city centre has sufficient parking spaces, adequately meeting the demand.
“Upon successful approval of the planning application, additional parking spaces in Frog Lane, opposite the train station and in the heart of the city centre, will be made available before the car park is demolished to cater for short-term parking needs for an interim period.”
Lichfield District Council spokesperson
Plans for a “meanwhile use” initiative for the site are also being drawn up by the local authority in a bid to ensure the land does not sit empty until permanent development takes place in the coming years.
“This approach will facilitate temporary activities, transforming the space by hosting activities such as an outdoor theatre, an outdoor cinema – to be operated by a soon-to-be-announced cinema operator – hosting unique one-off events, and providing pop-up retail and food options.
“Priority will be given to local start-ups and businesses, bolstering the local economy, and supporting hardworking entrepreneurs from across the district.”
Lichfield District Council spokesperson
