Launch of rejuvenated Dimbles Lane shopping parade
Published on Tuesday, 10th July 2012
Improved shopping parade to be launched by parnters on Thursday 26 July at midday
A major facelift of the Dimbles Lane shopping parade to create a greener, safer area will be celebrated at an official launch on Thursday 26 July 2012 at 12noon. It follows a two-year long partnership project led by North Lichfield Initiative.
The project, to transform the parade into a more welcoming and attractive place for the community of north Lichfield, has been supported by housing and care organisation Midland Heart and Lichfield District Council. It has cost more than £160,000, with £130,000 provided by Midland Heart and the remainder from Section 106 funds managed by Lichfield District Council.
The project involved a major overhaul of the area with the installation of new lighting to improve safety, added greenery including custom built planters and landscape features, and new street furniture to help revitalise the parade. Extensive improvements to the back car park have also taken place to reduce parking hazards in front of the shops and make the area even safer for the community.
Consultations with the local community and shop keepers, via the North Lichfield Initiative team, started 18 months ago with a series of local events. The design of the scheme has largely been governed by responses from these forums.
John Webbe, Regeneration Manager at Midland Heart, said: "Investing in community areas is at the core of Midland Heart's role and we are delighted to witness the changes and enhancements that have taken place on Dimbles Lane."
Colin Ball, Chair of North Lichfield Initiative, said: "We are pleased that our views were really listened to in the planning stages. The developments have definitely made it a brighter, friendlier place and a more welcoming area for people to live, shop and visit."
Councillor Colin Greatorex, Lichfield District Council's Cabinet Member for and Community and Organisational Development, said: "It was vital that local people had a say in how the Dimbles Lane shopping parade could be improved, and so we worked with North Lichfield Initiative to encourage as much feedback on the designs as possible. The improvements have made a big difference, giving the area a new lease of life for all the community."
To give added privacy for the residents living above the shops, future plans also involve the installation of contemporary coverings to the balconies of the residential flats.
There are 2 responses to “Launch of rejuvenated Dimbles Lane shopping parade”
Lichfield District Council news feed | About RSS.
Putting massive rocks in the middle of the paths and a few pretty flowers will not improve the area and. The money should have been spent on projects involving the youngsters who hang around the shops. The awlful changes were decided between Jigsaw and the council without any imput from the local community. If we had been asked we would have suggested changes that were needed and not wanted. Where are the older members of the community supposed to sit, now the benches have been removed - are you really expecting them to sit on the steps or maybe on those stupid looking rocks. Instead of trying to chamge the look of the dimbles, problems with local youths, drugs and drinking should have taken No1 priority and has for crime declining - DONT MAKE ME LAUGH either the criminals are getting more clever or the police just cant be bothered. Take your pick.
Thank you for your comment. We’ve had some great feedback from the local community about the improvements, but I am sorry if you don’t feel there was enough consultation with local people around this project. We worked really hard with North Lichfield Initiative and Midland Heart to canvass ideas about how the parade could be improved, including helping to run an event at the Jigsaw shop on Dimbles Lane in November 2011 so that people could give us their views about the proposals. We promoted the event widely and invited face painters and balloon artists to make sure children were entertained, adding to the community feel to the day. More than 100 people gave us their feedback, with the majority of responses being really supportive of the plans.
I hope this has gone some way to reassuring you that local people have been involved in shaping their community.