Labour Councillors welcome steps to tackle traffic congestion problems in Formby

Formby's three Labour Councillors have welcomed steps which are being taken to resolve the annual problem of congested roads in the town.

Formby Labour Councillors Nina Killen, Catie Page and Peter Maguire have worked alongside other local councillors to consult with police and Sefton Council to come up with solutions to the problem.

The councillors were inundated with complaints from residents about grid-locked roads and illegally parked cars following last month's warm weather as visitors flocked to the beach and pinewoods.

After consulting with residents and the emergency services, Formby Area Committee last week decided to install yellow lines on Victoria Road (near to Badgers Rake), Squirrel Green and part of Gorse Way and Proctor Road.

Cllr Nina Killen said: "As we've seen recently, traffic is a real problem in Formby during sunny summer days as people obviously flock to enjoy our coastline.

"We have the issue of so many cars on our roads causing gridlock, as well as vehicles being parked illegally and irresponsibly.

"This problem has gotten worse each year as day trippers visiting the beach and nature reserve decide to park outside of the National Trust car park or when the car park becomes full. 

"People complain about the problem year in, year out, so what we have come up with as part as Formby Area Committee is action which we hope will go some way to resolving the problem, by ensuring that cars are not parked along the main roads leading immediately to the beach and pinewoods."

Cllr Page said the effectiveness of the measures being implemented to resolve the congestion problems would be regularly reviewed.

Cllr Page said: "Councillors on Formby Area Committee, under the chairmanship of Cllr Gill Cuthbertson, agreed to create 'no waiting at any time' zones on the roads worst affected by the increase in traffic to try to keep vehicles moving and allay the congestion.

"These zones will be monitored to assess their effectiveness and the new parking restrictions will be policed particularly during high-traffic days.

"As all three of the Labour Councillors for Formby live in the town, we have each seen the problem of traffic during the summer period worsen year on year.

"The action Formby Area Committee has taken is just one step which we hope will go some way to alleviate the problem, but it will not be the only measure we take as we work to resolve the issue. This is an ongoing issue which we are determined to resolve."

Formby Fire Station Opening

On Monday I was fortunate to attend the opening of the new fire station on Church Road. This is a fantastic facility which will serve the people of Formby for many years, it was also encouraging to see that the new building had other features which allows it to serve the local residents in other ways. For example a state of the art gym which will be primarily used by firefighters but will also be available to certain members of the public and a large conferenc room which can be used for many community meetings.

After the official opening, local councillors, representatives from the Fire Authority and members of the public where given a guided tour of this fantastic new facility. We where also treated to a renactment of what the fire service would do in the case of a serious RTA(Road Traffic Accident) where the driver had experienced severe head trauma. It was very impressive and gave those of us present a reminder of the difficult work and risks that firefighters go through every day.

I managed to take a few snaps whilst I was there, however my camera kept failing throughout so there aren't many!

Formby Councillors work to tackle summertime traffic problem which leads to town gridlock

Formby's three Labour Councillors are working with Sefton Council and Merseyside Police to find a solution to the summertime problem of Formby's congested roads.

Every time the sun shines, Formby's roads become congested with sun seekers en route to the beach.

Formby Labour Councillors Nina Killen, Catie Page and Peter Maguire have been inundated with complaints from residents about grid-locked roads and illegally parked cars.

The three Labour Councillors are meeting with Sefton Council chiefs and Formby Neighbourhood Police officers to look into ways to alleviate the problems.

Cllr Killen said: "Traffic is a real problem in Formby during sunny summer days as people obviously flock to enjoy our coastline.

 

"We have the issue of so many cars on our roads causing gridlock, as well as vehicles being parked illegally and irresponsibly.

"This problem has gotten worse each year as day trippers visiting the beach and nature reserve have decided to park outside of the National Trust car park or when the car park becomes full. 

 

"People complain about the problem year in, year out, but as yet, there has been nothing effectively done to tackle the issue.

 

"Cllrs Page and Maguire and I are looking into just what can be done."

 

Cllr Page said residents had contacted the Formby Labour Action Team with suggestions on how to improve the traffic problem during warm days.

 

Cllr Page said: "People have come forward with suggestions for improving the flow of traffic on our roads during the good weather as people come to Formby to enjoy our community.

 

"Living in Formby, we've seen this problem worsen, but we are now looking into some suggestions which could ease the pressure on our roads.

 

"These suggestions include improved signage for visitors, increased parking restrictions in areas worst affected and the introduction of a traffic management system.

 

"We will be putting all of these suggestions to Sefton Council and the police. But what is introduced needs to be to the benefit of the whole of Formby instead of just moving the problem from one location to another.

 

"And while we would like to see any measures introduced which could help resolve the problem, Sefton has obviously been hit harder than most local authorities in terms of Tory-Lib Dem government cuts which has seen the local authority have to make more than £80m worth of savings over the last two years.

 

"So money is tight, but the Labour Councillors in Formby are working on a solution to this problem."

 

Cllr Maguire said the problem is so bad on many roads in Formby, people are turning to parking their cars on grass verges and even on private property as well as officially designated areas of scientific interest..

 

Cllr Maguire said: "Cars parking illegally and on private property are clearly not acceptable. Roads congested with cars nose to tail at a standstill is clearly a problem which needs to be resolved. Motorists irresponsibly damaging Formby's wildlife is something which needs to be stopped.

 

"While we want this issue tackling, there is obviously no easy fix. So if people want to make any more suggestions, please let us know by emailing formbylabour@gmail.com."

 

* Councillors are organising a public meeting to discuss the issue. Times, dates and venues are yet to be finalised.