Non-metropolitan district in England
Lichfield District
(
)
[2]
is a
local government district
in
Staffordshire
, England. The district is named after its largest settlement, the city of
Lichfield
, which is where the district council is based. The district also contains the towns of
Burntwood
and
Fazeley
, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas, including part of
Cannock Chase
, a designated
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
.
The neighbouring districts are
Cannock Chase
,
Stafford
,
East Staffordshire
,
South Derbyshire
,
North West Leicestershire
,
North Warwickshire
,
Tamworth
,
Birmingham
and
Walsall
.
History
[
edit
]
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the
Local Government Act 1972
. The new district covered two former districts, which were both abolished at the same time:
[3]
[4]
[5]
The borough of Lichfield had held
city status
from
time immemorial
. When the new district was created the area of the former borough became an
unparished area
with
charter trustees
to preserve its city status and other civic dignities. In 1980 the area of the former borough was made a
civil parish
, the charter trustees were wound up and the city status was re-conferred onto the new parish of Lichfield. As such, "Lichfield City Council" is a parish council, whilst "Lichfield District Council" is a district council with wider powers and covering the much larger area of Lichfield District.
[6]
[7]
Between 2011 and 2023, Lichfield formed part of the
Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership
.
[8]
Governance
[
edit
]
Lichfield District Council provides
district-level
services.
County-level
services are provided by
Staffordshire County Council
. The whole district is also covered by
civil parishes
, which form a third tier of local government.
[12]
Political control
[
edit
]
The council has been under
no overall control
since the
2023 election
, being run by a
Conservative
minority administration.
[13]
[14]
The first election to the district council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:
[15]
[16]
Leadership
[
edit
]
The
leaders of the council
since 1977 have been:
[17]
Composition
[
edit
]
Following the 2023 election, and subsequent changes of allegiance in October 2023, the composition of the council was:
[23]
[24]
[25]
The next election is due in 2027.
Premises
[
edit
]
The district council is based at the District Council House on Frog Lane. The building began as Lichfield Grammar School, which had been founded in 1495 and moved to this site in 1577. The oldest surviving part of the complex is the former headmaster's house at 45 St John Street, built in 1682. The main school room behind the house was rebuilt in 1849. The school moved to new premises in 1903 and later became the
King Edward VI School
in 1971. The former school buildings at the corner of St John Street and Frog Lane were bought by Lichfield Rural District Council in 1917 and subsequently converted to be that council's offices in 1920.
[26]
Following the local government reorganisation in 1974 the building passed to the current Lichfield District Council. A large extension was added in 1987 facing Frog Lane, incorporating a new main entrance.
[27]
The 1849 school room serves as the council chamber.
[28]
Elections
[
edit
]
Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 47
councillors
representing 22
wards
, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.
[29]
Wards
[
edit
]
Lichfield District's 22 wards are:
[29]
[30]
Wider political boundaries
[
edit
]
The district includes areas in two parliamentary constituencies:
Lichfield
and
Tamworth
.
[31]
Geography
[
edit
]
Settlements within the district
[
edit
]
- Alrewas
,
Armitage
- Blithbury
,
Burntwood
- Chase Terrace
,
Chasetown
,
Chesterfield
,
Chorley
,
Clifton Campville
,
Colton
,
Comberford
,
Croxall
,
Curborough
- Drayton Bassett
- Edingale
,
Elford
,
Elmhurst
- Farewell
,
Fazeley
,
Fisherwick
,
Fradley
- Gentleshaw
- Hademore
,
Hammerwich
,
Hamstall Ridware
,
Handsacre
,
Harlaston
,
Haunton
,
Hill Ridware
,
Hilliards Cross
,
Hints
,
Hopwas
- Kings Bromley
- Lichfield
,
Little Aston
,
Little Hay
,
Longdon
- Mavesyn Ridware
, Mile Oak
- Orgreave
- Pipe Ridware
- Rileyhill
- Shenstone
,
Stockwell Heath
,
Stonnall
,
Streethay
,
Swinfen
- Thorpe Constantine
- Upper Longdon
- Wall
,
Weeford
,
Whittington
,
Wigginton
Parishes
[
edit
]
The entire district is divided into
civil parishes
. The parish council for Lichfield itself takes the style "city council", and the parish councils for Burntwood and Fazeley take the style "town council".
[32]
Demography
[
edit
]
According to mid-2020 estimates,
[33]
the population of Lichfield district is 105,637, with 53,583 (50.7%) of the population female.
In the
2011 census
,
[34]
69% of the population reported their religion as
Christianity
, and 23% reported
no religion
. 6% did not state a religion, with the remainder reporting other religions.
[34]
The most common ethnicity was
White British
, 94.6%, followed by Other White, 1.5%, and Asian/Asian British: Indian, 0.9%.
[34]
Places of interest
[
edit
]
Adventure and excitement
[
edit
]
Arts and entertainment
[
edit
]
History and heritage
[
edit
]
- Lichfield Cathedral
? The only medieval cathedral in Europe with three spires. The present building was started in 1195, and completed by the building of the Lady Chapel in the 1330s. It replaced a Norman building begun in 1085 which had replaced one, or possibly two, Saxon buildings from the seventh century.
- Cathedral Close
? Surrounding the Cathedral with its many fine buildings is one of the most unspoilt in the country.
- Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum
? A museum to Samuel Johnson's life, work and personality.
- Erasmus Darwin House
? Home to Erasmus Darwin, the house was restored to create a museum which opened to the public in 1999.
- Lichfield Heritage Centre
? in
St Mary's Church
in the market square, an exhibition of 2,000 years of Lichfield's history.
- Bishop's Palace
? Built in 1687, the palace was the residence of the Bishop of Lichfield until 1954, it is now used by the Cathedral School.
- Milley's Hospital ? Located on Beacon Street, it dates back to 1504 and was a women's hospital.
- Hospital of St John Baptist without the Barrs
? A distinctive Tudor building with a row of eight brick chimneys. This was built outside the city walls (barrs) to provide accommodation for travellers arriving after the city gates were closed. It now provides a home for elderly people and has an adjacent Chapel.
- Church of St Chad
? A 12th-century church though extensively restored, on its site is a Holy Well by which
St Chad
is said to have prayed and used the waters healing properties.
- St Michael on Greenhill
? Overlooking the city the ancient churchyard is unique as one of the largest in the country at 9 acres (4 ha).
- Christ Church
? An outstanding example of Victorian ecclesiastical architecture and a
grade II* listed building
.
- The Franciscan Friary
? The ruins of the former Friary in Lichfield, now classed as a
Scheduled Ancient Monument
.
- Lichfield Clock Tower
? A Grade II listed 19th century clock tower, located south of Festival Gardens.
- Letocetum
? The remains of a Roman Staging Post and Bath House, in the village of
Wall
, 1-mile (1.6 km) south of the city.
- Staffordshire Regiment Museum
? 2.5 miles (4 km) east of the city in
Whittington
, the museum covers the regiment's history, activities and members, and include photographs, uniforms, weapons, medals, artifacts, memorabilia and regimental regalia. Outdoors is a replica trench from World War I, and several armoured fighting vehicles.
- The Market Square ? In the centre of the city of Lichfield, the square contains two statues, one of Samuel Johnson overlooking the house in which he was born, and one of his great friends and biographer,
James Boswell
.
Parks and the great outdoors
[
edit
]
Shopping and retail
[
edit
]
Plans have been approved for Friarsgate, a new £100 million shopping and leisure complex opposite
Lichfield City Station
. The police station, bus station, Ford garage and
multi-storey car park
will be demolished to make way for new retail space and leisure facilities consisting of a flagship department store, six-screen cinema, hotel, 37 individual shops, 56 apartments and over 700 car parking spaces.
Staffordshire Hoard Discovery
[
edit
]
Discovered in a field near the village of
Hammerwich
, near
Lichfield City
, in
Staffordshire
, on 5 July 2009, the
Staffordshire Hoard
is the largest hoard of
Anglo-Saxon
gold and silver metalwork ever found. It consists of nearly 4,000 items that are nearly all martial in character.
[36]
The
artefacts
have tentatively been dated to the 7th or 8th centuries, placing the origin of the items in the time of the
Kingdom of Mercia
.
The hoard was valued at £3.285 million, and was purchased by the
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
and the
Potteries Museum & Art Gallery
where items from the hoard are displayed.
Media
[
edit
]
Television
[
edit
]
Local news and television programmes are provided by
BBC West Midlands
and
ITV Central
. Television signals are received from the
Sutton Coldfield
transmitter.
[37]
Radio
[
edit
]
Radio stations for the area are:
Commercial
[
edit
]
Newspapers
[
edit
]
Local newspapers are:
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
UK Census
(2021).
"2021 Census Area Profile ? Lichfield Local Authority (E07000194)"
.
Nomis
.
Office for National Statistics
. Retrieved
5 January
2024
.
- ^
"Lichfield"
. Collins Dictionary. n.d
. Retrieved
23 September
2014
.
- ^
"The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972"
,
legislation.gov.uk
,
The National Archives
, SI 1972/2039
, retrieved
31 May
2023
- ^
"The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973"
,
legislation.gov.uk
,
The National Archives
, SI 1973/551
, retrieved
31 May
2023
- ^
"Council History"
. Lichfield City Council
. Retrieved
3 November
2021
.
- ^
"The Lichfield (Parishes) Order 1980"
(PDF)
.
Local Government Boundary Commission for England
. The National Archives
. Retrieved
4 July
2023
.
- ^
"No. 48364"
.
The London Gazette
. 7 November 1980. p. 15451.
- ^
Live, Lichfield (15 April 2023).
"Lichfield District Council to exit local enterprise partnership after changes are confirmed"
.
Lichfield Live
. Retrieved
17 May
2023
.
- ^
"Council minutes, 23 May 2023"
(PDF)
.
Lichfield District Council
. Retrieved
5 July
2023
.
- ^
Ross (9 May 2019).
"All change at Lichfield District Council after Conservatives vote for new leader"
. Lichfield Live
. Retrieved
4 November
2021
.
- ^
Ashdown, Kerry (27 May 2021).
"New boss to take helm at Lichfield District Council"
.
Staffordshire Live
. Retrieved
5 July
2023
.
- ^
"Local Government Act 1972"
,
legislation.gov.uk
,
The National Archives
, 1972 c. 70
, retrieved
31 May
2023
- ^
Live, Lichfield (5 May 2023).
"No party wins overall control of Lichfield District Council after dramatic count"
.
Lichfield Live®
. Retrieved
17 May
2023
.
- ^
Parkin, Isabelle (20 May 2023).
"Tories vow to 'work together' with opposition after losing majority in Lichfield"
.
Express and Star
. Retrieved
5 July
2023
.
- ^
"Compositions calculator"
.
The Elections Centre
. Retrieved
10 August
2022
.
- ^
"Lichfield"
.
BBC News Online
. Retrieved
18 October
2009
.
- ^
"Council minutes"
.
Lichfield District Council
. Retrieved
16 September
2022
.
- ^
Kirkhope, Timothy (14 December 1995).
"Obituary: Sir David Lightbown"
.
The Independent
. Retrieved
16 September
2022
.
- ^
"And it's the same story in Lichfield"
.
Rugeley Mercury
. 11 May 1995. p. 2
. Retrieved
16 September
2022
.
- ^
"District's top jobs"
.
Lichfield Mercury
. 18 May 1995
. Retrieved
16 September
2022
.
- ^
"It's business as usual, says new Labour leader"
.
Lichfield Mercury
. 10 December 1998. p. 3
. Retrieved
16 September
2022
.
- ^
Elkes, Neil (13 May 1999).
"Tories in triumph after tense finish"
.
Lichfield Mercury
. p. 4
. Retrieved
16 September
2022
.
- ^
"Local elections 2023: live council results for England"
.
The Guardian
.
- ^
"Your Councillors by Party"
. Lichfield District Council
. Retrieved
10 May
2023
.
- ^
"Second Conservative member of Lichfield District Council switches to become independent"
.
Lichfield Live
. 3 October 2023
. Retrieved
28 December
2023
.
- ^
Historic England
.
"Lichfield District Council Offices (part) and attached wall and gates (Grade II) (1218214)"
.
National Heritage List for England
. Retrieved
5 July
2023
.
- ^
"Minister's city visit hit by gales"
.
Lichfield Mercury
. 23 October 1987. p. 7
. Retrieved
5 July
2023
.
- ^
"History of Lichfield District Council House"
.
Lichfield District Council
. Retrieved
5 July
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"The Lichfield (Electoral Changes) Order 2015"
,
legislation.gov.uk
,
The National Archives
, SI 2015/111
, retrieved
5 July
2023
- ^
"Your Councillors"
.
Lichfield District Council
. Retrieved
24 April
2021
.
- ^
"Your MPs"
. Lichfield District Council
. Retrieved
3 November
2021
.
- ^
"Parish council contact details"
.
Lichfield District Council
. Retrieved
5 July
2023
.
- ^
"MYE1: Population estimates: Summary for the UK, mid-2020"
. Retrieved
3 November
2021
.
- ^
a
b
c
"UK Census Data: Lichfield"
. Retrieved
3 November
2021
.
- ^
"Heart of the Country Village"
.
Visit Lichfield
. Lichfield District Council
. Retrieved
20 March
2024
.
- ^
"The Find"
. Staffordshire Hoard. Archived from
the original
on 3 July 2011
. Retrieved
14 June
2011
.
- ^
"Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitter"
.
UK Free TV
. 1 May 2004
. Retrieved
15 June
2024
.
- ^
"Cannock Chase Radio"
. Retrieved
15 June
2024
.
- ^
"Lichfield Live"
. Retrieved
15 June
2024
.
52°40′51″N
1°49′39″W
/
52.6809°N 1.8276°W
/
52.6809; -1.8276
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Lichfield
.
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