Filming on city/district streets
You do not need a permit if you want to film on city/district streets. This excludes:
- If your filming will cause an obstruction or requires you to close a road.
- Find out how to apply for a road closure notice. The process can take up to six weeks, so please plan ahead.
- Filming on Lichfield Cathedral Close.
- If you wish to film in or around Lichfield Cathedral and The Close, you need to contact the cathedral team for permission/a permit. Please email at least ten working days before the date you wish to film on. Some filming charges may apply.
- Filming in Three Spires Shopping Centre.
- If you wish to film at Three Spires Shopping Centre, you will need to email Three Spires for permission or call 01543 417413.
Be aware
- You must have public liability insurance in place and the necessary risk assessments, as you will be liable for any accidents/claims that may result from your filming activity.
- All vehicles must also be appropriately parked in line with parking restrictions.
- Lichfield city hosts a wide variety of large-scale street-based events on weekends/bank holidays, which could make filming challenging. Email us to check whether your filming will coincide with a street-based event.
- If you want to film on a major road/A-road, you will need to email Staffordshire County Council’s press office or call 01785 895050
Who owns the local streets/public spaces
The streets in Lichfield city are owned/managed by a variety of bodies – including Lichfield City Council, Lichfield District Council and Staffordshire County Council.
All these bodies have signed up to a pledge to make filming in Lichfield city easy for film makers and will support filming in their areas, provided it is respectful, does not cause an obstruction, nuisance or offence, and is carried out with the highest degree of safety.
While you do not need to seek permission to film on local streets, as long as you are not causing an obstruction and have public liability insurance, if you are carrying out larger-scale/long term filming projects, we strongly recommend you alert the relevant landowners to avoid any issues.
To do so, please contact the following bodies:
- Market Square, Minster Pool Walk and Garden of Remembrance: Lichfield City Council
- City roads/streets (other than Three Spires and cathedral): Staffordshire County Council
- Public city car parks (some filming charges may apply if the car park or parts of the car park need to close): Lichfield District Council
- Parks/open spaces elsewhere in the district are often managed by other councils, such as parish councils, and you will need to contact the relevant body/council for permission to film - find out how to contact the local parish council.
If you are filming on private property (inside shops, gardens, public buildings, home etc) you will always need to seek the owner’s permission.