Lichfield District | |
|---|---|
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 Shown withinStaffordshire | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Ceremonial county | Staffordshire |
| Admin HQ | Lichfield |
| Created | 1 April 1974 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Non-metropolitan district |
| • MPs: | Dave RobertsonL Sarah EdwardsL |
| Area | |
• Total | 127.9 sq mi (331.3 km2) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 111,932 (Ranked 222nd) |
| Ethnicity(2021) | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| Religion(2021) | |
| • Religion | List
|
| Time zone | UTC0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| Post Code | |
| Area code | 01543 |
Lichfield District (UK:/ˈlɪtʃˌfiːld/)[2] is alocal government district inStaffordshire, England. The district is named after its largest settlement, the city ofLichfield, which is where the district council is based. The district also contains the towns ofBurntwood andFazeley, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas, including part ofCannock Chase, a designatedArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The neighbouring districts areCannock Chase,Stafford,East Staffordshire,South Derbyshire,North West Leicestershire,North Warwickshire,Tamworth,Birmingham andWalsall.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under theLocal 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 heldcity status fromtime immemorial. When the new district was created the area of the former borough became anunparished area withcharter trustees to preserve its city status and other civic dignities. In 1980 the area of the former borough was made acivil 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 theGreater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership.[8]
Lichfield District Council | |
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 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1974 |
| Leadership | |
Simon Fletcher since 2021[11] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 47 councillors |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | 4 May 2023 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| District Council House, Frog Lane, Lichfield, WS13 6YU | |
| Website | |
| lichfielddc | |
Lichfield District Council providesdistrict-level services.County-level services are provided byStaffordshire County Council. The whole district is also covered bycivil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[12]
The council has been underno overall control since the2023 election, being run by aConservative 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]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| No overall control | 1974–1976 | |
| Conservative | 1976–1995 | |
| Labour | 1995–1999 | |
| Conservative | 1999–2023 | |
| No overall control | 2023–present | |
Theleaders of the council since 1977 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Lightbown[17] | Conservative | 1977 | 1983 | |
| Arnold Ward[18][19] | Conservative | 1983 | May 1995 | |
| Peter Van Hagen[20][21] | Labour | May 1995 | Dec 1998 | |
| Tony Lanchester[22][23] | Labour | Dec 1998 | May 1999 | |
| David Smith[23][24] | Conservative | May 1999 | 11 May 2010 | |
| Mike Wilcox[24][25][26] | Conservative | 11 May 2010 | 21 May 2019 | |
| Doug Pullen[26] | Conservative | 21 May 2019 | ||
Following the 2023 election,[27][28] and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:[29][30]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 20 | |
| Labour | 16 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 7 | |
| Reform | 1 | |
| Independent | 3 | |
| Total | 47 | |
The next election is due in 2027.[30]
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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 theKing 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.[31] 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.[32] The 1849 school room serves as the council chamber.[33]
Since the last boundary changes in 2015 the council has comprised 47councillors representing 22wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[34]
Lichfield District's 22 wards are:[34][35]
The district includes areas in two parliamentary constituencies:Lichfield andTamworth.[36]
The entire district is divided intocivil 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".[37]
According to mid-2020 estimates,[38] the population of Lichfield district is 105,637, with 53,583 (50.7%) of the population female.
In the2011 census,[39] 69% of the population reported their religion asChristianity, and 23% reportedno religion. 6% did not state a religion, with the remainder reporting other religions.[39] The most common ethnicity wasWhite British, 94.6%, followed by Other White, 1.5%, and Asian/Asian British: Indian, 0.9%.[39]
Drayton Manor Theme Park – A 280-acre theme park and zoo with 35 rides in total, including 5 roller coasters and 4 water rides.
Lichfield Garrick Theatre – A modern theatre seating 480 people, named afterDavid Garrick who was brought up in Lichfield.
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.
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 – inSt 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.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 whichSt 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 agrade II* listed building.
Letocetum – The remains of a Roman Staging Post and Bath House, in the village ofWall, 1-mile (1.6 km) south of the city.Staffordshire Regiment Museum – 2.5 miles (4 km) east of the city inWhittington, 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.Plans have been approved for Friarsgate, a new £100 million shopping and leisure complex oppositeLichfield City Station. The police station, bus station, Ford garage andmulti-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.
Discovered in a field near the village ofHammerwich, nearLichfield City, inStaffordshire, on 5 July 2009, theStaffordshire Hoard is the largest hoard ofAnglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever found. It consists of nearly 4,000 items that are nearly all martial in character.[41] Theartefacts have tentatively been dated to the 7th or 8th centuries, placing the origin of the items in the time of theKingdom of Mercia.
The hoard was valued at £3.285 million, and was purchased by theBirmingham Museum & Art Gallery and thePotteries Museum & Art Gallery where items from the hoard are displayed.
Local news and television programmes are provided byBBC West Midlands andITV Central. Television signals are received from theSutton Coldfield transmitter.[42]
Radio stations for the area are:
Commercial
Community
Local newspapers are:
52°40′51″N1°49′39″W / 52.6809°N 1.8276°W /52.6809; -1.8276
