The new Friarsgate development will not add to congestion in Lichfield, it has been claimed.
Much of the focus on the long-awaited reconstruction of part of the city centre has focused on the addition of new retail outlets and a cinema.
But Lichfield District Council leader Mike Wilcox insists the development will also be a chance to improve congestion.
“We will have a proper traffic flow plan in place to make sure there is a better flow through Greenhill, the new bus station and beyond,” he said.
“There are still conversations to be had with bus operators and the highways teams, but we don’t want to add any more problems to an already congested area.”
Cllr Wilcox added that there had been a lot of discussion about the way vehicles will move through the new-look city centre.
“We want to make sure travel patterns are regulated properly,” he said.
“There’s the new 505 space shoppers multi-storey to improve that situation, but we’ve also got to make sure apartments have spaces and retailers have access for service areas.
“We want to make sure as people come into the city that traffic lights and car park signage talk to each other too.”
Cllr Wilcox added that a planning application for Friarsgate was still expected to be put forward by the end of 2015 with a view to the first spade going in the ground next year.
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