Agreement reached on crossing

A controversial new pedestrian crossing at a gateway junction in Lichfield will be built after council bosses and road safety experts reached an agreement despite some opposition to the proposal.

But plans for the £50,000 electronic pedestrian crossing at the busy junction of St John's Street and The Friary have still not won over Lichfield Civic Society.

The crossing plans, earmarked by the county council following a series of accidents and requests from local councillors, have been in the pipeline for several months but the design caused much concern.

In January council officers were at the junction with a questionnaire to gather views, and the Civic Society labelled the plans 'retrograde' and of 'harmful visual intrusion'.

And members are still extremely concerned about the proposal. It has now been revealed that a compromise has been reached.

County council road safety experts, Lichfield District Council officers, district and county councillors worked together to deliver a solution following public consultation.

The crossing will now go-ahead but without the pedestrian refuge, avoiding the need for safety railings and reducing the impact on the visual environment.

The new crossing will be a single span crossing, demanding a special engineering approach.