LDC19013 Master Plan for Birmingham Road Site in Lichfield City Centre

1. Summary & Objectives

1.1 This commission is a once in a generation opportunity to rethink the future direction of development in the Cathedral city of Lichfield, Staffordshire, at a time when the future of city centres is topical both locally and nationally. Its objective is to propose a way forward for a key city centre development site and in so doing also capture a dynamic, sustainable, deliverable vision for the future of the city centre.

1.2 The objective of this brief is to commission a multi-disciplinary team to consider and develop options for the redevelopment of a major site known as ‘Birmingham Road,’ in Lichfield City Centre, and to do so in the context of a wider City Centre development strategy.

1.3 The development recommendations must be commercially viable, deliverable, compliant with adopted and emerging local plans and strategies, and of the highest quality commensurate with a development in a historic Cathedral city.

1.4 In carrying out the commission the appointed team will report to a Project Officer Board and also a Task Group. The team will further be expected to support the District Council in its stakeholder and public engagement throughout the process as necessary. This support may include engagement with potential funders and development partners in conjunction with the District Council.

2. Multi-Disciplinary Team Requirements

The proposed team should demonstrate access to a number of skills including but not limited to: Project Management of mixed use developments, masterplanning, urban design & architecture, landscape and public realm design, planning, commercial valuation, working in the context of a heritage environment, development appraisals, stakeholder engagement & public consultation.

3. Background & Introduction

3.1 Lichfield is a vibrant Cathedral City in Staffordshire, centrally located, with excellent transport links by both road and rail, to all parts of the country. Positioned within Lichfield District, the city has a population of approximately 30,000 and serves a wide catchment area. The city has a vibrant mix of historic streetscape and modern development, with a large number of listed buildings and the Cathedral at its heart. It has weekly markets in the largely pedestrianised centre.

3.2 It is a reasonably affluent city, which is attractive to both residents and visitors alike. However, despite significant visitor attractions both in the city and nearby, there is a real opportunity to improve its status in terms of national awareness amongst the general public. Visitors tend to come for a half day, rather than a longer stay in the city.

3.3 A large proportion of the working population of Lichfield commutes daily to the larger cities of Birmingham and Derby, the Black Country, or towns such as Tamworth, and Sutton Coldfield. Similarly, these other centres are perceived by some to be larger or more varied shopping destinations, and to have leisure facilities that Lichfield does not currently offer.

3.4 The Birmingham Road site is a 2.8 hectare (7 acre) site in the heart of Lichfield City Centre. The site incorporates a range of previous and existing uses; namely an operational bus station, a multi-storey car park, council offices, former police station, former car showroom/garage site, and associated public realm and car and coach parking.

3.5 Over the last ten years various proposals for a significant retail-led mixed-use redevelopment scheme on the Birmingham Road site, have been developed but not implemented due to a variety of factors. In June 2018, against a backdrop of unfavourable market conditions and rapidly changing patterns in the retail sector, the District Council took the decision not to progress an agreed, but unfunded, scheme and re-consider the future of the site.

3.6 The council is in the enviable position of having a relatively blank canvas site in the heart of the city, at a time when the future of the high street is being completely reimagined for the twenty first century. This commission seeks to appoint an appropriate professional team to engage with the council and key stakeholders, to develop ideas and capture best practice, and propose a way forward for the site in the context of its prominent position in the city. It is a chance to reshape the landscape, facilitate long term sustainable change, and enable linked development across the wider city centre.

3.7 The council is keen to move quickly, and to avoid ‘reinventing the wheel.’ A significant amount of work was done on the aforementioned previous schemes in terms of traffic impact, survey work, etc. These are listed in Appendix B to the Brief and will be made available to the appointed team.

3.8 The council has complete ownership of the site which has, in part, been demolished to ground level. Ground remediation, removal of obstructions, etc. is still required. The existing multi-storey car park, whilst continuing to operate currently, would have been demolished under the previous proposals. Demolition, as part of any new proposals, would therefore be acceptable in principle, however the timing of such, and the provision of any replacement parking would need to be taken into account given its proximity to the existing Three Spires Shopping Centre and Garrick Theatre. The District Council offices were not part of the previous development proposals but could be incorporated if appropriate (see below).

3.9 The district council with the support of its partners has submitted a £4m funding application to the Future High Street Fund which relates to Lichfield City including the Birmingham Road Site. The application focuses on delivering modern, inviting and integrated transport infrastructure, contributing to a balance housing mix, enhancing cultural and entertainment offer and ensuring a high-quality public realm and complementary leisure provision. In detail the application seeks to secure funding to support a number of components including demolition and public realm works, master planning, viability assessments, investment in car and coach parking and a supporting revenue resource.

3.10 The masterplan exercise should take into account the above but must relate to the City as whole, along with policies and proposals set out in the current and emerging Local Plan, Neighbourhood Plan and City Strategic Plan documents. In carrying out the commission, specific reference should be made to these and how the scheme supports the objectives, requirements or aspirations of these key documents. It is vital that outputs from the commission include a clear direction on both the future of the Birmingham Road site but also other key areas and sites which combined make up the wider city centre.