Kate Pritchard

Residents are being asked what services matter most to them and where Lichfield District Council should prioritise its spending as it plans its budget for 2027/28.

The council has launched its annual budget consultation, giving people across the district the opportunity to have their say on spending across more than 60 services – from parks, leisure and community activities to housing, waste and recycling, planning, regeneration and support for local businesses.

For an average household, around £3.88 a week of their council tax currently goes towards services provided by Lichfield District Council.

While the council collects council tax on behalf of a number of organisations, it keeps around 9% of the total bill, with the remaining 91% going to organisations including Staffordshire County Council, police, fire and parish councils.

As the council considers how to balance its budget for the year ahead, the consultation asks residents which services are most important to them and where they think spending should be protected, increased or reduced.

Councillor Rob Strachan, Cabinet Member for Finance and Commissioning, said: “Every year we have important decisions to make about how we use the money available to us and where we prioritise spending.

“We provide a multitude of services across Lichfield District, and while some are services we are required to provide, there are other areas where we have choices about where and how we invest.

“With the cost of delivering services continuing to rise, it’s more important than ever that we understand what matters most to our residents.

“Whether that’s protecting the services you value, investing more in particular areas or looking at where we could spend less, we want to hear your views. Your feedback will help inform the decisions we make when setting our budget for the year ahead.”

The consultation also asks residents about the value for money they receive from the council and gives them the opportunity to suggest ways the council could manage its budget or deliver services differently.

The consultation is open until Wednesday 18 November.

Residents can find out more and have their say on the Budget Consultation web page.

Feedback will be considered as part of the council’s budget-setting process for 2027/28.

🚧 Temporary Road Closure – Peggs Lane, Harlaston
Staffordshire County Council has issued a notice for a temporary road closure on Peggs Lane, Harlaston on 8 December 2026 to allow highway improvement works to take place.

Further details can be found at:
https://one.network/?tm=GB152086630

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Residents across Lichfield District are being asked to share what matters to them and what they think should be considered as the council develops its new Local Plan, with the first consultation now open.

Lichfield District Council is asking residents, businesses and organisations to get involved at this early stage and have their say on the priorities and issues that should help shape the new plan.

The Local Plan will guide how Lichfield District grows and develops over the coming years. It will help decide where future development should take place and set out policies to guide planning decisions, bringing together plans for homes and jobs with infrastructure, transport, the environment, high streets and local communities.

Having an up-to-date Local Plan allows the council to take a planned approach to development across the district and consider what communities will need as the area grows.

This is the first stage of preparing the new plan and no decisions have been made about where future development will go. Instead, residents, businesses and organisations are being asked what they think the Local Plan should consider, what its priorities should be and how they would like to be involved as it develops.

There are also national requirements that councils need to plan for. The Government uses a national method to calculate housing need, which currently means Lichfield District needs to plan for 769 homes a year.

The Local Plan is how the council plans for that growth locally, including where development could take place and what will be needed alongside it. This includes working with organisations such as Staffordshire County Council, the NHS and transport and utility providers to consider future infrastructure needs.

Councillor Alex Farrell, Cabinet Member for Housing and the Local Plan, said:
“Lichfield District is a great place to live, work and visit, and we want to plan carefully for how it grows and develops. The Local Plan helps us look at the bigger picture – not just where development could happen, but how we plan for jobs, infrastructure, transport, our environment and the needs of our communities alongside it.

“There are national requirements we have to plan for, but there are important decisions to make locally too. This first consultation is our opportunity to listen to residents before we start developing the options – to understand what matters to you, what you think our priorities should be and what we need to consider as the district grows”

The consultation covers issues including homes and communities, infrastructure, jobs and the economy, high streets, transport, climate change and the natural environment.

It will run for four weeks, closing at 5pm on 5 October 2026. Residents can read more about the Local Plan and take part in the consultation at Developing our new local plan – Scoping Consultation

A separate Call for Sites also launches today and will remain open until the end of November, allowing landowners, agents, developers and residents to suggest land that could be considered as part of the Local Plan process

Staffordshire County Council have issued a temporary road closure notice for Croxall Road, Croxall.

The road will be closed 16th – 17th February 2027 due to highway carriageway and and kerbing repairs.

For further details please see the below link:

https://one.network/?tm=GB151742957

Staffordshire County Council have issued a temporary road closure notice for Scotland Lane, Harlaston.

Scotland Lane will be closed from 5th – 16th October 2026 due to utility asset works.

For further details, please see the link below:

https://one.network/?tm=GB151620645

Lichfield Proms returns to Beacon Park this Saturday (5 September), with visitors set to enjoy a refreshed event featuring a new and improved stage and screen, an expanded food and drink offer and an evening of live music.

The free community event will once again bring thousands of people together in Beacon Park, with the City of Lichfield Concert Band and the British Police Symphony Orchestra (BPSO) returning for an evening of live music.

This year, visitors will notice some changes to the event, including a new and improved stage and large screen, helping audiences across the park get closer to the action.

There will also be a completely refreshed food and drink offer, with 19 traders appearing at Lichfield Proms for the first time, bringing a wider choice for visitors to enjoy throughout the afternoon and evening.

For the first time, the food and drink village and funfair will open from 3pm, giving visitors the chance to arrive earlier, enjoy something to eat and drink and soak up the atmosphere while rehearsals take place on stage.

The City of Lichfield Concert Band will take to the stage from 6.30pm, before the British Police Symphony Orchestra returns for the main programme, with much-loved compère Danny Mizon, who missed last year’s event while recovering from surgery. This year’s musical programme will take audiences from The Flying Dutchman and Pirates of the Caribbean to Disney favourites and Star Wars, alongside much-loved Proms favourites.

Councillor Phil Whitehouse, Lichfield District Council’s Cabinet Member for Operational Services, Parks and Waste, said:
“Proms is one of those really special events that brings thousands of people together in our award-winning Beacon Park, and we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back this Saturday.
“We’ve made some changes this year to make even more of the event, with a new stage and screen, a completely refreshed food and drink offer and the village opening from 3pm so people can come down earlier and enjoy the atmosphere.

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to all of the businesses that have sponsored and supported Proms this year. Delivering an event of this scale and keeping it free for thousands of people to enjoy simply wouldn’t be possible without their support. We’re incredibly grateful to every one of them for helping us bring this wonderful event to Beacon Park once again.”

This year’s Lichfield Proms is supported by headline sponsor Jetts, alongside Silver sponsors Creative Developments, West Midlands Railway, Avery Healthcare, Busy Bees and Ontick, Bronze sponsors Langton Medical Group and Soapbox Billboards, and SME sponsors Keelys and Kembla.

For those looking to make their Proms experience extra special, a final number of reserved tables are still available to book ahead of the event this week, offering some of the best views of the stage from the front of the audience area.

Visitors are encouraged to make an afternoon and evening of their visit, with the food and drink village and funfair open from 3pm ahead of the live music.

Lichfield Proms takes place at Beacon Park on Saturday 5 September 2026 and is free to attend.

Those who would like to help support the future of this much-loved community event can make a donation online ahead of the event or by cash in Beacon Park on the day. Every contribution helps towards the cost of delivering Proms and keeping the event free for everyone to enjoy.