Michael Fabricant will be meeting market traders and local shopkeepers
on the 23rd February to discuss the disruption to the centre of
Lichfield City and held urgent talks with Nina Dawes (Chief Executive of
Lichfield District Council) and Richard King (Development Director of
the Council) on Friday 9th February.

"The meeting revealed that contrary to the impression of many traders,
work in the Market Square will be completed in around 8 weeks time and
not 6 months as some traders believe. Moreover, the contractors’
compound for the project is at Cross Keys near the end of Reeve Lane and
is not the Market Square itself." says Michael. "I hope that will
provide some reassurance that the disruption will not be endless.

"I do accept that there is upheaval, but I believe that the centre of
Lichfield has long been in need of a make-over to attract more visitors
to our City. We have lagged behind other historic towns in that
respect. Fortunately, the works are being undertaken at a relatively
slack trading period – not the run up to Christmas or high summer.
Nevertheless, there may be changes the contractors could make to
alleviate problems in the centre of the City and I will be interested to
hear practical suggestions from local traders when I meet them in a
couple of weeks time."

Michael’s meeting with Nina Dawes also included how best to promote
Lichfield when the Annual Conservative Party Conference moves to
Birmingham in 2008 and again in 2010 and what steps need to be taken to
ensure that train commuters have the best services from Lichfield when
the new train timetable begins in December 2008.

Pictures show Michael Fabricant looking at work in the centre of
Lichfield