Council to bring 'exciting' new facilities to popular park

Beacon Park already offers a variety of attractions, including a children’s adventure play area, football pitches, a café, formal gardens, and tennis courts. The planned improvements aim to boost these facilities and introduce exciting new features, enriching the park experience for all – making it possible for more people, to be more active, more often.

The pitch and putt golf course will be changed from an 18 to 9 hole facility, with improved fairways and greens, while retaining the very popular foot and disc golf activities. A new adventure golf course themed around local attractions like Lichfield Cathedral will offer family-friendly fun with creative challenges, while three brand-new outdoor Padel tennis courts will offer an exciting chance to experience the fastest growing sport in the UK.

A new nature reserve will create diverse habitats for local wildlife, with walkways for visitors to explore and connect with nature, and also bring much needed funding into the park by allowing developers to meeting their biodiversity commitments.

An inclusive, wheelchair-friendly bouncer will be added to the play area to ensure that children of all abilities can enjoy a safe, bouncing experience, and a covered area will provide a versatile space for community activities and events, designed to be easily demountable to prevent anti-social behaviour.

Plans are also underway to investigate the historic Victoria ice-house (used before the invention of refrigerators to store ice throughout the year) from Beacon Place and, if it still exists, explore plans to excavate it.

The planned improvements will be funded through more than £600,000 in community infrastructure levy funding.

Councillor Andy Smith, Cabinet Member for Leisure & Major Projects, said: "We’re thrilled to be making these exciting improvements to Beacon Park, ensuring it continues to be a place where the community can come together, relax, and enjoy a wide range of activities. 

“Our focus is on creating spaces and facilities that are accessible, engaging, and truly representative of the spirit of Lichfield. We look forward to seeing the park become even more vibrant and welcoming for residents and visitors alike, so that even more people, can get more active, more often."

The works will be delivered in partnership with MicroSports Ltd.

Managing Director Michael Hampson said: “We are working closely with Lichfield District Council to enhance Beacon Park’s facilities.

“We have extensive experience of managing leisure spaces to enhance the optimisation for local members of the community and believe in encouraging as many people as possible to participate in sport and activities.”

The planned enhancements are expected to be available from summer 2025, subject to necessary consents.

We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts on our plans and help shape the future of Beacon Park.

Visit lichfieldhistoricparks.co.uk to explore everything Beacon Park has to offer.