Projects
Platinum Jubilee Park
The Parish Council have created a new park for Formby residents located on Lonsdale Road. This land was previously held by Children’s Services comprising the former school playing field to the former Holy Trinity Primary School. The land was designated as a residential housing allocation site on Sefton Council’s Local Plan Policies Map for Formby – adopted April 2017 and was not open for public use.
The Parish Council negotiated a 99 year lease agreement and developed this to promote health and wellbeing by providing a public open green space for community enjoyment to be known as the Platinum Jubilee Park.
The Parish Council have followed Sefton Council and other local councils and declared a Climate Emergency. The tree planting and re-wilding of this area will contribute towards the improved biodiversity and carbon off-setting and at the same time, responding to the global problem of a decline in pollinators by introducing a better habitat for insects such as bees and butterflies.
A survey was conducted asking residents in surrounding roads what they wanted. The responses included mown pathways with benches, more trees and shrubs, wildflower meadow areas, not children’s play equipment.
Previous resident surveys conducted during the preparation of the Formby and Little Altcar Neighbourhood Plan, led to the objectives of providing more public open space, improving and enhancing existing open space, and to create a network of green spaces and corridors that sustains local wildlife and a sense of rural living throughout the town. This project is viewed as working towards those objectives. The Neighbourhood Plan identifies the need to maximise opportunities to use green infrastructure such as tree planting, buffer strips and wildlife areas to help manage climate change effects on surface and ground water and to mitigate the effect of habitat change.
The Formby Little Theatre is adjacent to this land and in support of the arts an area for summer outdoor performances, has been included.
The park has been funded by the Parish Council in conjunction with the Harington Ward Cllrs.
Footpath lighting and CCTV
Formby Parish Council have put significant investment in CCTV coverage for the Village centre, Phillips Lane and at Duke Street Park.
The Parish Council has also increased the amount of lighting along the footpaths of Duke Street Park. Other lighting projects include the footpath between Phillips Lane and Walker Close and footpath between Buckfast Drive and Altcar Road. Both projects were match funded with money from Sefton’s Ward budget.
War Memorial and Memorial Gardens
We have carried out repairs to the War Memorial including the re-lettering of all the fallen and a new base plinth. Improvements to the Memorial Garden itself have been undertaken including new planting, renewing of the lawn area, garden lighting, new benches and installation of a flagpole. The Parish Council also worked closely with the Roll of Honour Committee and subsequently took on responsibility for the Roll of Honour Memorial situated in the grounds of Formby Pool.
Winter Tree lights
In September 2021, we asked IllumiDex UK Ltd to install winter lights in 6 of the trees in the village. Then in February 2023, we asked them to install a further 9 sets of winter lights in the trees along Chapel Lane, Three Tuns Lane and Halsall Lane creating a lovely bright walk throughout the village centre.
Street Furniture
We have installed new street furniture, bollards, pedestrian barriers, planters and bike racks have also been introduced. New notice/community boards have been installed at key points in the Village.
Formby Library Gardens
The Library garden was a jointly funded project with the Parish Council and Sefton Libraries. This has greatly enhanced the Library environment and offering for outside storytelling, bee keeping seminars, community gardening and school workshops to name a few activities. The Parish Council continues to support the Library garden undertaking the garden maintenance.
Smithy Green Play Park
Following the closure for unsafe equipment in 2017, Smithy Green Play Park has been given a new lease of life reopening in 2019 following a successful joint project with Sefton Council. In addition to providing funding for the main project, Formby Parish Council has provided a large slide after receiving requests for something for older children to enjoy.
Roundabouts and Roads
A project was commissioned to reduce the size of the roundabout on Chapel Lane due to the number of accidents involving heavy goods vehicles damaging both the roundabout and the surrounding pedestrian railings. Further measures were introduced to include signage and a kerb build out at Sumner Road car park to direct the large vehicles. This continues to be monitored.
Formby Parish Council have funded upgrades to the zebra crossings on Church Road next to the junction with School Lane and further north near the junction with Cable Street. These two points were prioritised as they are on prominent walking routes to local schools and are close to sheltered living for older residents. The new halo lights are designed to significantly increase visibility of the crossing to other road users.
Grounds Maintenance
The Parish Council has for several years undertaken the maintenance of the roundabouts in Formby, including both the planted and lawned areas. This is in addition to the undertaking of general landscaping, tree replacements and major tree pruning of the old village trees. For more information on environment work, see the Environment section below.
Community Fund
Through the Community Fund, the Council have supported Formby Community Football Club for their Covid volunteering projects, Formby Food Pantry, Formby Rotary Club for donations to help restore the Santa Wagon, police bike marking schemes, traffic control schemes, homewatch and smart water initiatives, in addition to supporting faith groups, sport, art and youth activities plus the installation of Christmas Lights.
To see if your organisation is eligible for community funding, please see our dedicated Community Fund page with further details on how to apply.
Environment
Introduction
The Parish Council has been actively involved with a wide variety of project work. Our unique environment is inextricably linked to the local economy. Whilst there is much to appreciate, there is also much to preserve and it requires careful planning.
Coastal Protection
The Parish Council participate in the National Trust Stakeholder Meetings, urging the landowners to manage their sites professionally, maintaining a balance between encouraging visitors to our unique coast and protecting its flora and fauna.
Both Formby and Little Altcar Parish Councils have been active in working with Mersey Forest and other stakeholders on the Mersey Forest Plan to ensure our valuable coastal woodland continues to be managed effectively.
Flood Plain Management
Formby is on the edge of an area, which was recovered from the flood plain and gives rise to excellent agricultural land. It is surrounded by a ring of green belt, which is passionately protected by the residents, as it is a town where people aspire to live and enjoy.
Formby Parish Council continues to be active in the management of the flood plain and was instrumental in pushing for the refurbishment of the River Alt Pumping Station. Whilst this may need to be reviewed in future, for the present, the investment by the Environment Agency has proved essential.
The Neighbourhood Plan contains a Flood Strategy design to reduce and minimise flood risk for all existing and future residents in Formby and Little Altcar.
Green Belt
We have made plain our objection to any house building on the green belt surrounding Formby and Little Altcar. With the adoption of the Neighbourhood Plan, we have implemented a settlement boundary to prevent development of unallocated green field land outside of the settlement boundary, thus protecting the Green Belt, the best most versatile agricultural land and countryside around Formby, which is in itself a fundamental part of the Neighbourhood Area’s attractive local character.
Renewable Energy
The Neighbourhood Plan supports the off-shore wind investments in renewable energy, however we strongly opposed the proposal to construct another site on the Ince Blundell/Lydiate strip. The application to develop a Fracking site by Aurora gives rise to wider concerns. There are justifiable reasons to search for renewable sources of energy but it must not be done at the expense of the ecological balance and safety of residential properties. The application for a solar farm was supported by the Parish Council’s Neighbourhood Plan.
Grounds Maintenance
The Parish Council maintains the roundabouts, the Library garden and the planters and baskets in the Village and Redgate shopping areas. Periodically the shrubs on the grass verges, the planted area at Harington Road shops and the Memorial Garden are given more intensive treatment. It takes time and commitment and we aim to keep Formby looking the best it can despite the continued cuts in services by Sefton MBC. When you drive into Formby from Southport, Liverpool or Ormskirk we want people to say “doesn’t this town look good?”
Our aim is simple – to set out plans to keep Formby at it’s best for the next 25 years, keeping its traditions and by providing the funds to do it.
Rights of Way – footpaths
Please see our Rights of Way page for the latest notices from Sefton Council.
Formby and Little Altcar are criss-crossed with public footpaths and cycle tracks and we oversee this with our consistent involvement with the Sefton Rights of Way team.
The Parish Council made an Application in August 2017 for the addition of public rights of way to be included on the Definitive Rights of Way Map:
- St Luke’s Church Road (Bushby’s Lane to junction with Alexandra Road and Cambridge Path No. 38)
- The short path from Beechwood Drive to St Luke’s Church Road
- St Luke’s Church Road (Junction of Alexandra Road to Range Lane)
- Alexandra Road (including sign posted access path to the beach)
- Albert Road (From junction with Alexandra Road to beach)
- Range Lane (junction with St Luke’s Church Road to Stapleton/Jubilee Road and Footpath 37 to shore)
- St Luke’s Church Road (Range Lane to footpath from Hogg’s Hill level crossing Footpath 35 then to the beach)
The evidence supporting these ‘ways’ goes back over 70 years and Sefton Council have been asked by this application to include them on the Definitive Map. On 14 October 2019 Sefton Council were given 12 months to consider this application by a Directive from the Planning Inspectorate.
In July 2023, Sefton Council gave the following update, “The Modification Orders that were made were objected to and as a result Sefton does not have the power to confirm them. We have been engaging with the main objector to attempt to find a resolution and possibly have their objection withdrawn.
To date the objection has not been withdrawn and as it raised procedural issues/objections as well as evidential objections to the Order relating to the first section of St Luke’s Church Road, we are working on making new Orders that overcome the procedural issues.
Whilst we believe the new orders will overcome the procedural issues there is still the matter of the evidential objections raised, we are still in contact with the objectors representative and working to try to overcome these before the new orders are made. If we are able to successfully do this it will help with the next stage and the required referral to the Secretary of State.”