Proposed Projects
Park Road Playing Field
Formby Parish Council wrote a letter to Sefton Council regarding the Park Road Playing Field:
PARK ROAD FORMER SCHOOL PLAYING FIELD, FORMBY
Children’s Health, Wellbeing and the Importance of Access to Nature
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to bring to your attention an important additional consideration concerning the future of the former school playing field adjoining the Professional Development Centre and Ravenmeols Community Centre in Park Road, Formby.
As you may be aware, this land is identified in Sefton’s existing Local Plan for approximately 15 dwellings. Formby Parish Council has asked Sefton Council to reconsider this allocation and has offered an alternative: the Parish Council would be willing to seek a long-term arrangement whereby it takes responsibility for maintaining the field as green open space for the local community.
Since making that proposal, we have become particularly interested in the growing evidence concerning the importance of children’s access to green space, outdoor play and the natural environment.
Children, Nature and Mental Wellbeing
Research increasingly associates children’s exposure to green and natural environments with benefits to physical activity, mental wellbeing, attention, cognitive development and reduced stress.
Of particular interest is research concerning children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A 2024 systematic review examining nature exposure and ADHD in school-aged children found that the studies it reviewed consistently reported associations between exposure to nature and lower ADHD symptom severity or fewer ADHD diagnoses.
We are not suggesting that access to a playing field is a treatment for ADHD. However, this evidence reinforces the much broader principle that access to nature, outdoor activity and informal play can make a valuable contribution to children’s health and wellbeing.
NICE guidance similarly recognises the importance of providing children and young people with safe opportunities for physical activity and outdoor environments in which they can play, explore and be active.
Why This Matters at Park Road
The Park Road estate is a large and densely developed residential neighbourhood. It has also experienced additional housing growth. The redevelopment of the former Powerhouse site resulted in 87 additional homes being accessed through Park Road.
More widely, records compiled from Sefton Council’s published planning information identify 425 windfall dwellings across Formby, additional to housing specifically allocated through the Local Plan. Despite this considerable growth, the Park Road neighbourhood has not received a corresponding substantial area of new publicly accessible green space.
The former school playing field is therefore particularly important. It is already there, close to people’s homes, and does not need to be purchased or created. It has been used by families as an open green space for over 40 years since the closure of the school. Our proposal would not necessarily involve turning it into a formal sports facility or filling it with expensive play equipment. We believe there is considerable value in simply maintaining it as a safe, attractive and accessible green space where children and families can play, exercise, meet and enjoy contact with nature.
A Natural Environment Already Exists
This is not simply an empty grass field. It is surrounded by substantial mature trees and forms part of an established green environment. Residents have recently provided photographs of Red Squirrels within the grounds, including photographs taken only days ago. Residents have also reported bats flying around the site during the evening.
This provides a rare opportunity within a densely populated neighbourhood for children to experience nature literally within walking distance of their homes. The adjoining PDC and Ravenmeols Community Centre are also actively used for educational, training and community purposes, while Grade II Listed Deans Cottage immediately adjoins the site.
The Alternative to Another 15 Houses
We fully recognise Sefton Council’s responsibility to provide new housing. However, we respectfully ask Councillors to consider whether another approximately 15 houses represent the greatest long-term public benefit that can be obtained from this piece of land. Once houses are built on the playing field, the open space will be permanently lost. If it is retained, however, it could potentially serve hundreds of local families and successive generations of children for many decades to come.
Formby Parish Council has already offered to explore taking responsibility for maintaining the land. This provides Sefton Council with a genuine alternative to simply releasing the site for residential development.
Our Request to Councillors
We therefore respectfully ask you to support the principle that no irreversible decision should be taken regarding the disposal or development of the Park Road playing field until its potential contribution to children’s health, wellbeing, recreation and access to nature has been properly assessed.
Sefton Council is currently preparing its new Local Plan for 2029–2044. We believe this provides an ideal opportunity to reconsider an allocation made many years ago against the very different circumstances that exist today.
We would particularly welcome your support for reconsidering the residential allocation and exploring whether the land could instead be retained as community green open space, with Formby Parish Council taking an active role in securing and maintaining its future.
Attached Information
For consideration, we attach information concerning recent research into children’s access to nature, outdoor play and ADHD, together with the relevance of that evidence to the Park Road proposal.
Windfall List Showing 425 Dwellings Built
Copy of 2024 Parish Council Motion to Sefton Council Re Park Road Playing Field.
This should not be regarded simply as a choice between development and an unused field. It is a choice between approximately 15 additional houses and retaining one of the few remaining opportunities to provide children and families in this densely populated neighbourhood with safe green space and everyday contact with nature.
Once that opportunity is lost, we cannot recreate it.
Yours sincerely,
Cllr Maria Bennett, Chair, Formby Parish Council
Cllr Leonid Kolassa, Chair, Little Altcar Parish Council