Pay and dismay

As if it wasn't bad enough that Lichfield's parking charges have become nothing short of farcical, the closure of Tesco has added to the woe.

The loss of the hundreds of spaces which, rightly or wrongly, were used by many to pop into the city centre has made an already bad situation far, far worse.

The chain of decisions surrounding car parking leaves a lot to be desired. At a time when Lichfield is joining many other commercial centres in losing key shopfronts such as Woolworths, that the decision-makers do their utmost to drive shoppers away from their key areas to out-of-town sites where parking is free.

Firstly, the decision was taken to hike parking prices and install machines which I, and many others I've spoken to, have put money into only to see no ticket delivered. There's even one car park (the lower level of the one opposite Poundland) which charges more on a Saturday than it does during the week! How is this meant to attract greater footfall into area in desperate need of an increased audience? No, I don't know either.

So with Tesco closing until the Autumn meaning less available spaces and those that are left coming at a premium, is it any wonder why casual shoppers are thinking that Lichfield just isn't worth it?