City centre pedestrianisation trial (ETRO)
Business workshops feedback
We held two business workshops on 21 June and 13 July to discuss the impact of the pedestrianisation trial so far on city businesses, hear their feedback and discuss any suggestions they had in relation to the scheme.
Thank you to all the businesses that took part.
Attendees agreed on the whole that pedestrianisation could be positive for the city, but several key issues were raised:
| Deliveries | Businesses had asked their delivery drivers to make drop-offs before 12noon, but that this was not always possible for a city business to control or enforce. |
| Concerns about vehicles accessing the city and excessive speeds | Businesses were concerned that vehicles are entering the city the wrong way and driving at excessive speeds and felt more enforcement was needed. |
| Evening access | Businesses were concerned that cars are still accessing the city during the evenings and felt more enforcement was needed. |
| Revert to previous arrangements | Some attendees felt that whilst pedestrianisation could be positive in theory it might be more practical to revert to the previous arrangements. |
| Part time access |
Businesses were very supportive of the proposal to introduce a part-time approach, allowing blue badge holders/permit holders access on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at any time. Some businesses suggested extending the part-time to include Thursdays, as footfall on Thursdays was considered low. |
| Charity shop donations |
Those charity shops that have seen a reduction in donations felt that it was not directly attributable to the pedestrianisation scheme and highlighted donations usually drop during summer months, and that out-of-town charity drop-off points have had an impact on donations, as they are more accessible by car, whereas charity shops on streets that have always been pedestrianised (e.g. Market Street) are less accessible, regardless of the pedestrianisation. Other charity shops reported that they haven’t seen any reduction in donations. |
If you would like to give your views please fill in our feedback form, or please send your views to:
Pedestrianisation scheme views
Lichfield District Council
District Council House
Frog Lane
Lichfield
Staffs
WS13 6YU