Property magnate Bill Friel delighted to be developing Lichfield site
A property magnate says he was determined to be the developer of choice for a historic site within the city centre which he has recently been granted planning approval on.
Bill Friel and his wife have lived in Lichfield for more than 40 years, and the couple have raised their family in the city.
Mr Friel’s company, Friel Homes, is now setting about developing a site on Beacon Street in the centre of Lichfield, nestled in the shadow of the city’s landmark cathedral.
The Beacon Street development will include 29 new homes (a mixture of apartments and detached houses) as well as a 12-suite boutique hotel.
Mr Friel said: “We recognise the importance of this site which is set within the heart of the conservation area, containing listed buildings and immediately adjacent to both Lichfield Cathedral and The Close.
“When this site came onto the market, we were determined to be the developer of choice as we were confident that we could do justice to it.
“Lichfield is our home and we are privileged to have the opportunity to create something outstanding that both ourselves, and the people of Lichfield, can be proud of.”
Unusually for a site being developed in such a historically sensitive location, Mr Friel’s company has had overwhelming support from local residents.
Lichfield District Council received around 50 letters of support from locals, who wanted to see the vacant site brought back in to use.
This proved to be instrumental in a decision by councillors to go against the recommendation of officers at Lichfield District Council, who called for refusal of the plans in their report.
Councillors instead voted to support the scheme at the planning meeting in January.
Mr Friel explained: “From the outset, we prioritised engagement with all stakeholders of this development, have listened to their ideas and concerns and, where possible, incorporated them into our proposals.
“This collaborative approach has allowed residents of Lichfield to have a voice to shape the development and, in turn, gained their overwhelming support.”
The site – including the listed buildings within it – has laid abandoned for years and has become derelict.
Friel says his proposals will see a forgotten corner of Beacon Street revitalised, with a high-quality development the city can be proud of.
His aim is to establish a mixed-use area that can increase housing in the local community and boost tourism.
In line with support from residents, Lichfield Civic Society said it had no objection to the plans.
The group said it welcomes redevelopment of the area, and that the project will provide a much needed uplift.
The society said: “[The] quality of work at Angel Croft has been to a high standard and [we have] no reason to believe it won’t be the same at the site.”
Mr Friel continued: “I think the legacy of our work will be restoring and safeguarding the future of the listed buildings by providing them with a sustainable, long-term use.
“The works we have already completed to the Angel Croft, which led to it being officially removed from the ‘At Risk’ register, are testament to the quality of our restoration work.
“I feel that we are merely custodians of these listed buildings and we have a responsibility to ensure that they are preserved for future generations.”
He added: “We will continue to engage with neighbours and stakeholders of the site for the duration of the works and build upon our already well-established relationships.
“The works at the Angel Croft received a Silver Considerate Constructor Scheme (CCS) National Site Award and we plan to extend our registration with CCS for the duration of this development.
“It is essential that we, as a team, continue to respect the community, care for the environment and value our workforce.”
He said discussions are now underway with possible operators for the hotel, but it is still early days on that decision.
The plan is to offer a swimming pool, gym, steam room, sauna and treatment rooms as well as 12 guest suites.
A limited number of memberships will be available to the public, and it’s hoped the hotel will provide employment as well as enhancing the accommodation offering to increase the length of visitor stays in Lichfield.
Despite the support from locals, the project was recommended for refusal by officers at Lichfield District Council.
Their report to officers said: “The proposed redevelopment… would cumulatively result in an overdevelopment of the site… which does not respect or reflect the character of the Lichfield City Centre Conservation Area.”
Historic England also objected to the proposals.
They said: “The proposal is an over intensive development of this extremely sensitive site causing considerable harm to the significance of a number of statutory designated assets and any potential benefit would be limited.”
However, councillors opted to back the scheme – having heard the public support for it along with the backing of local groups and the dean of Lichfield Cathedral.
Planning committee chair Councillor Thomas Marshall said: “This is quite rare for me, because I’ve been involved in planning for quite a long time, over the years.
“Nineteen years I’ve been involved with Lichfield District Council and probably 13 of those I’ve been involved in planning – and rarely can I remember an application which has had so much public opinion, and public opinion which is positive.”
Friel homes has been operating in the West Midlands and Staffordshire for over 30 years.
The company remains a family-run concern, and says it focusses on contributing positively to the communities in which it operates.
The firm works with a number of charities, and Mr Friel was keen to highlight the work of Tabor House which provides accommodation and support to homeless people.
The charity aims to offer a ‘step-up’ by ensuring those it works with have somewhere to go at the end of their stay, promising no-one who’s referred to the service will be moved on or made homeless.
