Changes made to pedestrianisation scheme

Lichfield District Council has confirmed that refinements to the ongoing pedestrianisation scheme are now in place in response to ongoing feedback from residents, blue badge holders and businesses.

The new measures will take effect Monday, with the council stating they aim to strike a balance between fostering a pedestrian-friendly environment and ensuring access to the town centre for all stakeholders.

The changes address concerns raised during online feedback, engagement sessions and workshops held since the trial's launch in March earlier this year.

The refinements introduce a hybrid pedestrianisation model.

Under this new scheme, pedestrianisation will be implemented with unrestricted access granted to blue badge holders and permit holders on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays throughout the day.

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays will see pedestrianisation continue in line with the current trial's guidelines.

During a recent feedback workshop attended by local businesses, the new proposals were met with a "favourable" response.

A recent survey garnered nearly 3,000 responses which showed that 39 per cent loved the scheme and an additional 21 per cent liked it but wanted to see some refinements. Nearly 15% want it to stop and of these respondents 62 per cent were blue badge holders.

Over 50 per cent of respondents said that it is easier to walk around in the city centre and 39% said it felt safer and 29 per cent said the city feels more vibrant and welcoming.

Councillor Janice Silvester-Hall said: "We genuinely appreciate the constructive feedback and dialogue we have had with our residents, blue badge holders, businesses, and other stakeholders.

“The forthcoming refinements to the experimental pedestrianisation scheme represent the next step in testing what works best for our city centre to make it both vibrant and accessible.

“An experimental Traffic Restriction Order (eTRO) is specifically designed so that we can test how it works in practice and to make refinements in line with feedback and I am pleased we can work together to make this scheme work for everyone.

“As we move forward, we remain committed to fostering an inclusive and pedestrian-friendly environment while ensuring that the concerns and perspectives of our community are acknowledged and addressed."