This meeting of Lichfield District Council's Cabinet was scheduled to discuss a range of issues relating to the council's budget, its strategic plan called the Lichfield District 2050 Strategy, and the creation of new nature reserves. It also considered the performance of the council over the previous 6 months. The documents do not tell us what was actually said at the meeting, or what was decided.

Lichfield District 2050 Strategy Q2 Performance Report

The report pack included the second quarterly performance report for the Lichfield District 2050 Strategy, and a report on the council's key performance indicators, which is a way for the council to measure how well it is doing in meeting its objectives. The strategy was adopted in May 2024 by the full council and sets out a plan for the council to make Lichfield District a more confident, prosperous, active and green place to live, work and pay.

The performance report included for discussion an update on the delivery of 53 actions that are included in the plan. It highlighted several on track actions, including the launch of a funding program for local voluntary groups, progress on the new Local Plan, the development of a design code for new development, the approval of investment in temporary accommodation, the regeneration of the Birmingham Road Site in Lichfield and the commencement of construction of the new leisure centre at Stychbrook Park.

The report pack included that 89% of the actions in the plan are either on track or complete. 6 of the actions are marked as either warning or off track, including an action to open the Lichfield Greenway to walkers and cyclists, and one to deliver a joint service with Citizens Advice South East Staffordshire.

The report included for discussion the performance of the council against 72 corporate key performance indicators. Of these indicators, 38 are on track, and 21 are marked as either warning or off track.

Greenway Project

The Cabinet were scheduled to consider a report on the creation of a greenway from Lichfield to Chasewater along a disused railway line. This follows a report that was considered by the Cabinet in December 2023 that proposed leasing the land from Network Rail. The latest report included that Network Rail had offered a 50 year lease with no break clause, that would include full responsibility and unlimited liability for all of the assets on the route, including bridges and embankments.

The report included an assessment of the risks associated with adopting the greenway, including the potential financial liabilities. It recommended continuing work on the route, including mitigation of risks, and the identification of potential funding. It was suggested in the report that if it is approved, a further report will be made to Cabinet in March 2025.

Money Matters 2024/25

The Cabinet considered a report on the council's financial performance in the first 6 months of the financial year 2024/25. It included for discussion the council's projected revenue and capital spending, its reserves, and performance in collecting Council Tax and Business Rates. It also included the performance of the council's wholly-owned company, Lichfield West Midlands Traded Services Limited, who operate the leisure centres on behalf of the council.

The report included for discussion the financial performance of Burntwood Leisure Centre, and Friary Grange Leisure Centre.

Mini Nature Reserves

The report pack included a report that proposed the leasing of two areas of park land to create new mini nature reserves. The sites are in Beacon Park in Lichfield, and Redwood Park in Burntwood, and will be leased to the council's wholly-owned company LWMTS Limited for 40 years. The sites will be managed by the company, with the council retaining an oversight role. The report pack included a request for approval in principle, and a recommendation to delegate the final decision to Councillor Phil Whitehouse, the Cabinet Member for Operational Services, Parks & Waste, in consultation with relevant officers.

Calculation of Business Rates 2025/26

The report pack included a report that proposed approving the calculation of the Council Tax base for 2025/26. The report included a projection of 41,522.7 Band D equivalent properties in the district. It also included for discussion the projected surpluses on the Council Tax and Business Rates collection funds. The report pack included a recommendation to delegate the final sign-off of the calculations to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Commissioning and the Chief Financial Officer.

Lichfield District Design Code Supplementary Planning Document

The report pack contained a supplementary planning document that provides guidance on the design of new development across the district. It contains detailed design parameters that cover a range of issues, including movement, public space, nature, built form and resources. The document was prepared by BDP, a consultancy that specialises in urban design. It was included for discussion in the report pack with a recommendation that the Cabinet recommends the document for approval by the full council.

The document included a coding plan which divides the district into 6 area types, each of which has its own set of design parameters. The area types are: City Centre, Cathedral Precinct, Suburban, Village, Rural and Employment. The plan included for discussion detailed descriptions of each of the area types and the design parameters that will apply to them. The area types are designed to ensure that new development is in keeping with the character of the district.

A consultation statement that summarises the responses that were made during a formal consultation on the document was also included in the report pack. The statement records the key issues that were raised during the consultation, the council's response to the issues, and whether the document was modified in response to the comments.