Developers change plans on Lichfield's new shopping centre

The developers behind Lichfield's multi-million pound new shopping centre, hotel and leisure complex have announced changes to their plans after holding a public consultation event.

S Harrison Developments Ltd plans for the £100m shopping centre include 45 new shops, a six-screen cinema, a hotel, a police desk, two new 'public spaces', restaurants, cafes, a new bus station and a new car park.

A two-day public consultation event was held last month.

S Harrison have now come back with several changes to the original plans.

The consultation show attracted more than 400 visitors and 100 response sheets were completed by members of the public.

S Harrison say feedback from the exhibition has influenced, among other things, the choice of brickwork for the hotel.

The developers now plan to use a more traditional red/brown multi brindle brick instead of the original plan to use blue engineering blocks.

The main department store will now have direct links to the basement car park, which will now have 737 instead of the original figure of 748. A new entrance will also link the main store level to the Birmingham Road pavement.

The shape of the mall has also been altered to improve "connectivity".

In a report forwarded to Lichfield District Council, S Harrison said: "The mall has been reconfigured to accommodate the change and advantage has been taken to simplify the shape of the adjacent retail units and to improve the shape of this part of the public mall."

The changes will allow for a "more generous" pavement along Birmingham Road, which will be adjacent to the bus layby. Additional glazing has been added at street level allowing for displays and clearer views.

The car park has now been laid out to have a simplified one-way system, which S Harrison say will reduce the time shoppers spend looking for spaces.

The site extends to an area of 8.15 acres and is located within the city centre. The site is bounded by Frog Lane to the north-west, Bakers Lane, to the north-east, St John Street to the south-west, and the railway line, in the south-east.