Thornton Relief Road is a boost for borough's economy

The Thornton Relief Road will be a huge boost to Sefton's economy, the borough's Labour leader and Sefton Central's Labour MP both said today.

The long-awaited road was finally given the greenlight this week, after a 40-year-long campaign.

Labour's Cllr Peter Dowd and Sefton Central Labour MP Bill Esterson both said the £19m route, which is deigned to ease congestion on the borough's roads by improving access to Switch Island and the M57 and M58, will create jobs and benefit local businesses.

Cllr Dowd said: "Lots of people have worked really hard for this, so this is a victory for the whole of Sefton.

"It has been a long time coming, but the creation of this road will bring lots of long-term benefits. It will not only ease congestion in and around Thornton, but also on roads throughout East Sefton and Crosby, while improving infrastructure links from the Southport and the north end of the borough through to the southern end.

"This also obviously means better connections to Switch Island and the motorways, which is a benefit for businesses in the borough.

"We fully expect work to get underway before the end of this year and the whole project to take around 12 months to finish.

"This is great news for the borough and for our long-term local economy."

MP Bill Esterson said people from all corners of his constituency will benefit from the Thornton Relief Road.

Bill said: "This road will benefit people throughout my constituency. Not only will it ease the congestion in Thornton and Crosby, but roads in Lydiate and Maghull should benefit as motorists have improved links to Southport and Formby.

"People and businesses in Formby will also benefit through the improved motorway links.

"This has been a long-running issue for many people in Sefton Central. I have had people on the doorstep in Formby, Aintree, Maghull, Lydiate and Thornton all tell me how much they want the relief road. I have had hundreds and hundreds of emails from constituents all asking for the road to be built.

"That's why I campaigned for it. That's why I called on the Tories and Lib Dems to u-turn on their decision to shelve the plans three years ago.

"I am delighted for everyone who has campaigned for this road throughout the years.

"This is a boost for our local economy. It is a boost for our local infrastructure. It is a boost for our local businesses.

"I will now be calling on the contractor to use local sub-contractors and make sure that local people are employed on the construction phase."

Sefton Labour celebrate as Thornton Relief Road finally gets green light after 40 year campaign

Sefton's long awaited Thornton Relief Road has finally been given the greenlight - more than 40 years after the campaign was first launched.

The borough's Labour MPs and Councillors have welcomed the news.

Sefton Council's Labour leader, Cllr Peter Dowd, said the road has been a long time coming.

Cllr Dowd said: "We've waited a long time for this. Each time we thought we had passed the final hurdle, another obstacle was placed in our way. But this is finally it. 

"I am delighted for the people of Thornton who have campaigned long and hard for this relief road to ease the heavy congestion in the community.

"The rest of the borough will also benefit as congestion on roads throughout Sefton will be eased as the new relief road takes the strain and the £19m investment here will be a major boost for our local economy."

The road will consist of a "single carriageway link road between Thornton (Southport Road, Long Lane and Ince Road junction) and the Switch Island junction".

The scheme also includes: "Amendments to the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency dept at Switch Island, associated landscaping measures, attenuation ponds and traffic management measures on the local highway network."

Cabinet member for transportation, Labour's Cllr John Fairclough, praised Sefton Council officers for "negotiating the detailed technical details" behind the scheme.

Cllr Fairclough said: "Councillors and council officers have put the hours in on finally getting to the stage where we can at last say that the Thornton Relief Road has been given the greenlight.

"That work has involved dealing with all of the very technical legal details involved in a scheme of this magnitude, particularly in relation to building on land which has been owned by the Crown.

"But they have all pulled out the stops and delivered. This is great news for Sefton."

Sefton Central Labour MP Bill Esterson said he was delighted for everyone who had campaign for the road.

Bill said: "Throughout my time in Sefton, the Thornton Relief Road was one of the biggest issues which people raised with me.

"I know that residents, parish councillors and our borough councillors have all worked extremely hard on the campaign to get this road. It is because of that campaign, because of that hard work, that we have now reached this stage.

"This is a massive boost for the infrastructure of Sefton and for the local economy.

"We all expected the worst when the Tory-Lib Dem Government announced they were shelving the plans for the Thornton Relief Road when they came to power in 2010.

"I am thrilled to have played a part in getting this scheme going again alongside the residents, parish and borough councillors who all fought so hard in getting this new road secured."

An article from Planning Resource:Has the NPPF neutered councils?

I stumbled upon a recent article on the Planning Resource website regarding the governments drastic reforms to the planning system and its impact on local authorities and in turn communities. It is definitely worth a read.

On the face of it, the government's one year old National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for England seems to offer a fair deal to local planning authorities. Under the framework, the local plans written by the authorities remain the first point of reference for planning decision-makers. Councils that get their plans adopted will continue to be able to set the agenda for development in their area. Only if authorities fail to put an up-to-date plan in place are they likely to find their decisions regularly overturned by inspectors citing the NPPF's presumption in favour of sustainable development.

Yet the NPPF's anniversary has been greeted with loud complaints from rural conservationists, claiming that it has already led to a loss of local control over planning decisions, bringing in a new era of unplanned greenfield development.

How justified are these complaints? Has the framework already increased the amount of development that is being built against the wishes of the local planning authorities? Will it do so in the future?

Why might the NPPF help applicants get permission against local planning authority wishes?

The framework opens up new opportunities for appeal against LPA decisions. If an application is turned down because of conflict with the local plan, there now may be an opportunity for the applicant to argue that the plan has not been brought into line with the NPPF, and hence is "out-of-date", and the presumption in favour of sustainable development should apply.

"Pre NPPF inspectors would inevitably give full weight to the development plan, even if it was dated," says Anthony Aitken, head of planning at consultancy Colliers. "There was still a huge risk in going to appeal. The NPPF's introduction was a game changer".

At the same time, the framework strips away some of the defences that an authority without a local plan might have used to fend off an application that it did not want. "Absence" of a plan can justify permission for a scheme under the presumption in favour of sustainable development. "Councils used to be able to persuade inspectors that their plan was just around the corner," says Robin Tetlow, chairman of consultancy Tetlow King. "That argument was a better card to play then than it is now".

How many local authorities do not have a local plan in place?

Research conducted by Planning last month showed that slightly more than half of English local authorities did not have an adopted local plan. Among English LPAs, 48 per cent had an adopted plan, one per cent had had their plan found sound at examination but not yet adopted, 13 per cent had submitted their plan for examination, 11 per cent had published their plan and 27 per cent had no plan at all.

How long will it take the relevant authorities to put the remaining plans in place?

Recent research suggests that full coverage could be years away. Think-tank the Local Government Information Unit, in a study commissioned by the National Trust and published last month, reported that 13 per cent of English authorities say that they will not have an adopted plan in place for more than 18 months, and 26 per cent say they will not have one in place in a year's time.

The timetable for full plan coverage will be further delayed if authorities hit unexpected problems in adopting local plans. Consultancy GVA has highlighted the fact that several councils have recently struggled to get their plans through inspection. "The burdens placed on councils by the framework have seen a number of plans fail or stall at examination In public stage", it said in its report on the first year of the framework.

How vulnerable are authorities without adopted local plans to unplanned development?

The LGIU report said that LPAs without adopted local plans "had already received speculative applications looking to take advantage of these situations".

The most vulnerable are local authorities with no plan at all, or an emerging plan in its very early stages. This is because the NPPF attaches greater weight to an emerging plan as its preparation advances.

Can local planning authorities that have adopted plans be confident that they are safe from unplanned development?

They can only be really confident if their plans are demonstrably NPPF-compliant. Although 48 per cent of English local authorities have an adopted plan, recent Planning research showed that less than seven per cent have plans that can incontrovertibly be said to be NPPF-compliant, in that they have either had a new or revised plan adopted since the NPPF's publication.

Some of the other adopted plans will almost certainly comply with the new framework without revision. According to Tetlow, inspectors are still giving "a fair degree of weight" to recently adopted plans, even if they date from before the publication of the NPPF. However, separate Planning research carried out in December revealed that nearly half of the councils with plans adopted since 2004 thought they would have to revise them to make them comply with the NPPF. So far, only one has managed to get a revised plan adopted.

In what ways might adopted plans be challenged for not complying with the NPPF?

A report on the NPPF's first year by consultancy Savills adds that "the absence of a five year housing supply, and hence an up to date development plan, is the strongest common feature of appeals that have been allowed".

"Pre NPPF, [inspectors] would still give pre-eminence to the development plan, even if you could prove a lack of land supply," says Colliers' Aitken. "But [post-NPPF], if you are a local authority that doesn't have a five year land supply, there's now a big truck coming towards you". He says that he is now telling clients to start preparing applications for greenfield expansion in areas where authorities do not have the five year land supply in place.

Are there reasons why planning authorities might find it harder than before to maintain a five year supply of housing?

Yes. For one thing, the framework requires more housing land than before to be identified. Local planning authorities not only need to meet their previous obligation to provide a five year supply of land for housing, they also need to show that they have an additional buffer of five per cent or, if they have a track record of persistent under-delivery of housing, 20 per cent.

For another, the task is made more challenging by the increased onus placed by the NPPF on demonstrating that allocated sites are genuinely viable for development. According to the Campaign to Protect Rural England, this is testing local authorities that had included a lot of brownfield land in their five year supply, because brownfield sites are generally more expensive than greenfield to build on. "Inspectors are saying that there is no proof that brownfield sites will be deliverable," says CPRE senior planning campaigner Paul Miner.

How many planning authorities are vulnerable to challenge on the grounds of inadequate housing land supply?

A lot, according to Savills' study. It surveyed 190 authorities in the southern half of England, and concluded that a third do not have enough sites to provide for a five year housing supply. On average, it said, the authorities had a supply of 5.7 years. The report concludes: "Given that the minimum required by the NPPF is 5.25 years, and that the majority of data is prepared and published by the local authorities themselves, this does not represent a healthy position, and it is one which often leaves local authorities open to challenge"

Planning authorities with plans adopted after 2004 were given a year to bring the documents into line with the NPPF. What will be the impact of that deadline expiring?

The NPPF said that policies in such plans that conflicted "to a limited degree" with the framework could continue to be given weight for 12 months. Rural conservation campaigners have argued that these transition arrangements should be extended. But the CPRE's Paul Miner admits it is hard to pinpoint evidence of the arrangements being used by planning authorities to shield themselves from unwanted development. Their disappreance is unlikely to lead to any "dramatic change", says Tetlow.

The government has tried to reassure people that the NPPF will not lead to uncontrolled development by pointing out that 70 per cent of councils have now published draft plans, even if less than half have adopted plans. How much force do emerging plans have under the NPPF?

They can have some force. The framework tells decision-makers that they can give increasing weight to an emerging plan as its preparation progresses. Other factors that would increase an emerging plan's weight would be evidence that it faces few unresolved objections, and consistency with the framework. Inspectors have recently shown a marked willingness to reject at examination stage plans that they see as non-compliant.

In practice, says Anthony Aitken of Colliers, plans that have been submitted for examination tend to be viewed as having "a high degree of materiality". But emerging plans that have not got that far are less potent.

Inspectors have also become far less likely to throw out an application because it might pre-empt an emerging but as yet unclear plan. "Pre NPPF, government was effectively giving local authorities time to get their plans up to date," says Savills associate director Charles Collins. "Not any more".

Is there evidence of a growth in permissions for unplanned development in the year since the NPPF was published?

There is not yet enough data to paint a comprehensive picture, but some indications are beginning to emerge. Savills recently published its analysis of appeals relating to large housing schemes (50 dwellings or more) that took place in the nine months following the NPPF's publication. This showed that the number of homes in the schemes that were refused permission at appeal in this period was about a quarter of the total number in the schemes that went to appeal. That compared to around half in the nine months before the NPPF came out. The data suggests that more new homes that are part of big schemes are winning permission at appeal than before. "The appetite of developers to go to appeal has certainly increased post NPPF," says Charles Collins, associate director at Savills.

Research by consultancy Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners (NLP) shows that the proportion of retail appeals as a whole allowed has so far remained more or less unchanged since the NPPF was published. But the success rate at appeal for large out of centre food stores has gone up, from 22 per cent in the 15 months before the NPPF was published to 33 per cent in the 11 months after.

The apparent rise of successful appeals, in some fields at least, comes alongside a rise in local authority plan-making since the NPPF came out. This time last year, 44 per cent of English local planning authorities had plans that were published, submitted for examination, found sound or adopted. Now the figure has risen to 73 per cent. Perhaps surprisingly, however, the rate at which local plans are getting adopted has not changed.

Nonetheless, it is clear that local auhorities are racing to get local plans in place. But the appeal statistics suggest that, despite their best efforts, developers and landowners believe that in many places their prospects of success at appeal remain high.

Labour Councillors raise local concerns about plans to install huge windfarm on land between Formby, Ince Blundell and Lydiate

Formby and Ince Blundell Labour Councillors Catie Page and Peter Maguire have raised local residents' concerns about plans to build 24 St John's Beacon-size wind turbines on land between Formby, Ince Blundell and Lydiate.

Coriolis Energy is in the process of submitting plans to West Lancs Council to build the windfarm which consists of up to 24 turbines that tower 136.5m into the air.

The company held a series of public exhibitions in Sefton last week, including at Ince Blundell Village Hall and Leverhulme Hall on Great Altcar.

Formby and Ince Blundell Action Team members attended the events, including MP Bill Esterson and our local Labour Councillors.

Cllr Maguire said: "Since we found out about this windfarm, lots of people have raised concerns about these plans.

"The primary concern is the sheer size of the wind turbines that Coriolis Energy are planning to install. The public exhibition showed just how the turbines will dominate the skyline from Formby and Ince Blundell.

"People are telling me that they fear that these plans will destroy their communities.

"There are also obvious concerns about the the wind turbines affecting the radar system at RAF Woodvale. Elsewhere in the country where plans have been submitted for even smaller turbines than planned here, the Ministry of Defence has warned that their sensitive technical equipment is affected by the hug turbines.

"In that case, those turbines were 35m turbines. The ones planned for what is called the Lower Alt Windfarm are 136.5m.

"So obviously residents have concerns about these plans."

Cllr Page said the Formby and Ince Blundell Labour Action Teams were gathering objections to present to West Lancs, which is the planning authority responsible.

Cllr Page said: "This is a large scale application, and as you would expect, we have had a large number of concerns raised with us.

"People are concerned about the size, the visual impact of the windfarm, the potential noise and the loss of agricultural land.

"All concerns which we will ensure are considered by West Lancs before the decision is made.

"We would like to thank everyone who has contacted us so far."

Formby Labour Action Team urges residents to attend exhibitions of plans to build windfarm between Lydiate, Ince Blundell and Formby

Sefton Central Labour Action Teams are encouraging people to attend a series of public exhibitions to find out more about proposals to create a windfarm that runs along the Cheshire Lines between Lydiate and Formby.

The windfarm, which is being proposed by Coriolis Energy, is expected to include up to 24 wind turbines which would be up to 136.5m tall.

Coriolis say each turbine will be able to generate enough electricity for approximately 1,162 homes. The windfarm itself is expected to generate enough electricity for 27,000 homes.

As the land itself falls just outside of the Sefton boundary, it will be West Lancs planning committee who will decide whether the plans are given the greenlight.

Sefton Central Labour MP Bill Esterson, whose constituency includes Maghull, Lydiate, Ince Blundell and Formby, has written to West Lancs planning department to pass on some of the concerns of residents within his constituency.

Bill said: "I have received a number of emails and letters from residents who are concerned about the impact of these plans on their community.

"I have written to West Lancs Planning Department to detail these concerns and urge them to take into consideration the views and concerns from my constituents before making a decision. These concerns include the visual impact of the windfarm, the loss of prime agricultural land to the turbines and the ecological impact of the farm.

"This is a major development which will have an impact on a number of communities in Sefton Central. The viewpoints of the people in these communities must be heard. The planning committee needs to balance the impact on the community and the landscape against the potential benefits of renewable energy."

Ravenmeols Ward Labour Councillor Peter Maguire, whose ward includes Formby, Altcar and Ince Blundell, said residents had already contacted him with concerns.

Cllr Maguire said: "People have raised concerns with me about the disruption the building of a farm of this size will have on this area. The transportation of materials including parts such as propellers will go through the Thornton relief road. What disruption will this cause, people are asking? 

"This is obviously a major concern, as is the fact that this proposal is yet another development earmarked for greenbelt land.

"I am also concerned at the lack of communication from West Lancs Council in relation to this proposal. Sefton Council should have been better informed about such a large scale proposal right here on our doorstep.

"Together with my Labour colleagues, I am compiling people's views on these plans to present to West Lancs before the proposals are decided upon.

"I urge everyone to let us me know their views by email."

Bill Esterson is also encouraging people to attend one of the public exhibitions which Coriolis has planned:

  Thursday, April 25 - 5-7pm at Leverhulme Hall, Lord Sefton Way, Great Altcar.
  Friday, April 26 - 4-8pm at Ince Blundell Village Hall, Victoria Road.
  Saturday, April 27 - 10-2pm at Lydiate Parish Hall, Southport Road, Lydiate.

 
Bill said: "People throughout Formby, Lydiate, Maghull, Ince Blundell and Lunt need to go along to one of the public exhibitions to see for themselves the plans and to ask questions of the company representatives who will be there.

"Then please feed back your views to the Labour Action Team and we will make sure that West Lancs listen to those views.

"It is crucial that everyone has a say before the decision is made."

To send your views to Bill Esterson, email bill.esterson.mp@parliament.uk or email Sefton Central Labour at SeftonCentralLabour@gmail.com

Fire on Kirkstall Drive, Formby

I have been contacted by a few residents about a recent fire in the passageway on Kirkstall Drive which is adjacent to the Formby Bypass.

I have informed the Fire Service who will be visiting the site and will be speaking to local residents in the next few days.

Planning Matters

I have recently been sent a copy of Frequently Asked Questions by Sefton Council's planning Department regarding the Local Plan which among other things will set out the housing strategy for Formby over the next 15 years. If you wish to obtain a transcript of this letter,  please contact me at peter.maguire@councillors.sefton.gov.uk

Formby Labour Councillor Nina Killen attends Trinity St Peter's School Council meeting to hear pupils' concerns about traffic

Formby Labour Councillor Nina Killen attended a very special council meeting this week - Trinity St Peter's School Council.

The Harington Ward Labour Councillor met with the young members of the school council to hear their ideas for reducing the amount of traffic outside their school during school times.

Paradise Lane is regularly congested as parents drop their children off and pick them up.

Cllr Killen heard from the young school council members that it can often be difficult just to cross the road.

Cllr Killen said: "I would like to thank the school council members, the headteacher Mrs Deborah Pringle and Year Six teacher and school council facilitator Mrs Bev Riley for inviting me along to hear the concerns that the pupils have and some of their ideas to try ease the problem.

"I live close to this school and see for myself how busy this part of Formby gets at the start and end of the school day. During the peak time, it is often wisest to avoid Paradise Lane altogether because of the congestion.

"The young people on the school council were telling me that it can be very difficult just to cross the road to get to the school.

"Obviously parents dropping their children off want to get as close as possible to the school gate for safety reasons and also to avoid the weather.

"It is a problem which is mirrored outside schools throughout Sefton."

Cllr Killen said the pupils on the school council had come up with some good proposals.

Cllr Killen said: "The pupils have a unique perspective on the issue of traffic congestion outside the school.

"They had a number of good ideas which can help to reduce the problem. They suggested residents' parking permits, a zebra crossing, traffic lights and double yellow lines, but most thought a lollipop person would be the answer. The school already has a walking bus from the Grapes but they felt more children would walk if there was a lollipop person. 

"I was impressed by the pupils and I will give them all the support that I can to turn their ideas into a reality."

Trinity St Peter's School Council facilitator and Year Six teacher Mrs Bev Riley said: "The school council is looking at ways of reducing traffic on Paradise Lane and that's why we invited Cllr Killen to talk through some of the ideas which they have.

"Parents complain all the time about how dangerous the road can be. The school council is looking at just what can be done."

Homelessness in Sefton

I've had a number of letters from residents over recent weeks regarding Sefton's policy towards homelessness. Please see below the initiatives currently being undertaken in the Borough.

Cold Weather Provision

Sefton MBC has a well established Cold Weather Provision in partnership with Liverpool CC; this provision should mean that anyone rough sleeping has the opportunity to access overnight shelter and additional support.

This provision is available based on government set criteria i.e. when the temperature is estimated to be zero degrees Celsius or below for a period of 3 days or longer.  Services and groups throughout the area are made aware of when the shelter is open.

The service is based in the Liverpool City Centre area and is hosted by a local church who allows use of their church hall. The shelter is staffed by volunteers from homelessness groups and charities.

The service allows rough sleepers to shelter but does not provide beds. Any person accessing the shelter is given the opportunity of additional support the next morning via various homelessness groups and charities. Obviously the person has the opportunity to decline this assistance and in practice many do. 

No Second Night Out

“No Second Night Out” (NSNO) is a scheme that originated in London and the government wants to see replicated nation-wide. Sefton is part of the Liverpool City Region “NSNO” protocol (the first outside London) that aims to get first time rough sleepers off the streets as soon as possible.

NSNO allows incidents of rough sleeping to be reported to a central co-ordinating point. The report can be made by statutory bodies, VCF groups, partner agencies and members of the public. There is a contact free phone number; 0300 123 2041, and web-site; nosecondnightoutmerseyside.co.uk 

Once the referral is received staff from the Whitechapel Centre (the group contracted to undertake this work on behalf of the City region LA’s) will go out to the area where the rough sleeping is thought to occur and try to contact the person individually. If contact can be made they will offer him/her the range of options available to them.  Again the person has the opportunity to decline this assistance and in practice many do.  However the very nature of rough sleeping means that it is often difficult to make and maintain contact with a person who is rough sleeping.

Sit-up Service

Sefton MBC in conjunction with Liverpool CC also provides a “sit up” service outside the times when the Cold Weather Service is not in operation. This service provides overnight shelter for people who are rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping where shelter is required for a short period whilst a longer term solution is secured.

This service is provided by a range of homeless groups in the Liverpool City Centre area.

All these schemes seek to end rough sleeping and provide support and assist the individuals into more permanent accommodation should they wish to.

Conservative plans to split Formby in two as part of constituency boundary changes defeated by Labour in the House of Commons

Labour MP Bill Esterson said the defeat of Tory plans to split Sefton Central and the town of Formby was a victory for common sense.

 
MPs voted on Tory plans which would have created a new constituency which contained Maghull, Aintree, Melling, parts of Bootle, parts of Crosby and Formby would have been split in two.
 
Formby's Ravenmeols Ward would have stayed in the Crosby and Maghull constituency, while Harington Ward would have ended up in Southport.
 
Bill Esterson repeatedly spoke out against the plans which he said would have been devastating for the community of Formby.
 
Bill said: "The Conservatives wanted to push this undemocratic bill through to gerrymander constituencies up and down the country. In so doing they planned to split the historic community of Formby.
 
"At the public hearing I spoke out strongly against the plans because of the impact the plans would have had on Formby.
 
"People in that town told me how they opposed the plans and they wanted to remain as one distinct town. Not split in two with one Member of Parliament representing one part of the town and another Member of Parliament representing the rest.
 
"That would not have been in the best interests of the people of my constituency.
 
"Despite hearing my concerns, and the concerns of the people of Sefton Central and Formby, the Conservatives insisted on pushing through their plans.
 
"Common sense prevailed in the House of Commons as the Conservatives were outvoted and David Cameron's plans to cut Formby in two were thrown out as the Labour Party led the charge to oppose the Tory-Lib Dem Government's plans."
 
The Tories' plans were voted down in the Commons as 292 MPs voted in favour of the boundary changes and 334 voted to reject them.
 
Bill Esterson said it was right that people of Formby and Sefton Central were heard.
 
Bill said: "The Government was claiming that the changes were designed to reduce costs as the number of MPs was to be slashed from 650 to 600. Meanwhile they were duplicitously creating nearly 200 new peers in the Lords who are unelected and who cost more than £150,000 a year - each.
 
"This exposes the real purpose of these changes as the Conservatives aimed to gerrymander the constituency boundaries to create a majority for them after the next General Election. They tried to rig the system in favour of the Conservatives at the expense of the country and democracy at large.
 
"The cost of that would have been the slicing in two of strong communities.
 
"This was a party political move by the Conservatives and not in the interests of the country at large - and certainly not in the interests of the people of Formby and Sefton Central.
 
"That's why the Labour Party voted the bill down.
 
"After hearing the Formby residents' concerns, I was determined to fight the Tories' plans to the bitter end and I am delighted that the campaign to save Formby has been successful.
 
"This is a huge defeat for the Conservatives. Time has now been called on this sham of a Government."
 

Formby Labour Councillor Nina Killen backs 20mph speed restriction plan

Formby Labour Councillor Nina Killen said she is backing a 20mph restriction on some roads in Formby because "when it comes to road safety, every mile-per-hour counts".

The plans would see the north eastern part of the town with the new speed restriction - north of Piercefield Road, Ryeground Lane and Southport Road; and east of the railway line.

Sefton's proposals were given a warm welcome by a large proportion of consulted residents.

A total of 1,581 households in the affected area of Formby were consulted. Forty-two per cent of households responded to the consultation - 71% of whom were in favour of a 20mph restriction.

Formby councillors will this week vote on whether to introduce the new speed restrictions when they meet at the area committee.

Cllr Killen said she was backing the plans.

Cllr Killen said: "In this type of residential area, there really is no need to do any more than 20mph. We have a number of primary schools in this part of Formby and restricting traffic speed will help to save lives and keep our roads safer for not just our children, but also older people in our community.

"Studies show that every mile-per-hour over 20mph dramatically increases the risk of serious injury or death in the event of a collision. In areas of Portsmouth where 20mph zones have been introduced, there have been 22% fewer casualties.

"There are also proven improvements in air quality and pollution. Which is obviously beneficial for the whole community.


"There was an excellent return rate for the consultation, which was way higher than the average. With 71% of those people responding positively to the proposals, this is something which clearly has the support of people who live here.

"For these reasons I will be backing the proposals."

Cllr Killen, who has three young children, said "20's plenty for this part of Formby".

Cllr Killen said: "I live in this area. I also drive. I don't know why we would oppose a 20mph limit.

"Very often, when I am out and about with the children, it can be a real struggle to get across certain roads because of the speed of the traffic.

"But the studies show that people who travel at 20mph in speed restricted areas reach their destination no more than 40 seconds later because the flow of traffic is improved.

"It is better to arrive 40 seconds later than risk seriously injuring a child. It's a small price to pay."

Harington Ward Labour Councillor makes sure Formby residents have their say on which trees are planted in their community

Harington Ward Labour Councillor Nina Killen said she is delighted that Formby residents will get the chance to have their say which trees are to be planted on a green at the heart of the community where three trees have recently been removed.

 

Cllr Killen had been contacted by residents concerned that three trees have been taken down from the open green space on Wicks Green.

 

Residents believed that the trees had been mistakenly removed, but after being contacted by Cllr Killen, Sefton Council's arborists have confirmed that the trees were dead and they were removed for public safety.

 

But now Cllr Killen and her Harington Ward colleagues are working to secure funding to pay for replacements

 

Cllr Killen said: "I met with the residents around Wicks Green who were obviously concerned that the trees had been removed from the green.

 

"Three poplar trees were removed because they were dead and at least two others are at risk due to them being in a similar condition.

 

"The council had been concerned that the trees had become dangerous in the condition they were in and tell me they feared that the trees could have fallen in the road or injured someone.

 

"But I has passed on the concerns of some of the local residents that they had felt there had been no communication about the removal of the trees. Sefton officers have agreed to reassess whether the process can be more transparent to keep those living in the community more informed."

 

Due to the Tory-Lib Dem Government funding cuts, Sefton Council doesn't have the budget to replace the trees, but Cllr Killen said councillors are working on sourcing the funding from elsewhere.

 

Cllr Killen said: "Because of the financial constraints imposed on Sefton by the Tories and Lib Dems in Government, there is not a lot of money available to pay for replacements or management of the replacement trees.

 

"There is no money in the council's trees budget for replanting trees, so the money has to be found from elsewhere. But I am delighted that my ward colleagues have agreed with me that the trees need to be replaced.

 

"The residents have already made a contribution and we will work at sourcing the rest.

 

"Bigger more mature trees will cost more but may survive better so we'll have to strike a balance between cost and tree size. The council's tree planting manager, is going to put together a proposal with different options. So the residents themselves will get the chance to choose what type and how many trees they want. That will be their decision."

 

The trees will be planted this winter during the regular tree planting season, and they will be guaranteed for two years. If they don't take they will be replaced. 

 

Cllr Killen added: "I am really pleased we've been able to help the residents with this situation. I know tree felling is a very emotive issue and we've had a similar issue recently in the Village where trees have had to be taken down. 

 

"We are hoping that those trees will be replaced too.

 

"My ward colleagues and I have worked together with the residents to come to a decision which I think most residents are satisfied with. The trees are going to be replaced with ones which are more suited to the green and which will be of a more mature nature so much nicer to look at."

Rain! Rain! Rain!

Over the past couple of days Formby has experienced a vast amount of rainfall which has lead to several cases of flooding including the Hawksworth Drive area, where Sefton Council have had to deploy sandbags to prevent the problem getting worse.

As we are expecting further rainfall over the next 24 hours or so, if you have experience any flooding in your area please feel free to contact your 3 Formby Labour Councillors via the details provided on this page (please see side bar).

Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson joins the Formby Residents' Action Group to fight plans to destroy the greenbelt

Labour MP Bill Esterson told more than 400 Formby residents that the battle to fight plans to build on greenbelt land in the town was being made all the more difficult because of the "duplicitous government's planning policies".

 

The packed out Formby Residents' Action Group meeting at the RBL building on Whitehouse Lane, heard that while Tory Chancellor George Osborne is encouraging local authorities up and down the country to build on greenbelt, he has signed a petition opposing plans to build on countryside in his Tatton constituency.

 

Formby Residents' Action Group organised the meeting to update the community on the campaign to oppose David Wilson Homes' plans to build more than 300 homes on the current farmland to the east of Savon Hook and Alt Road along the bypass. 

 

The plans have sparked anger amongst Formby's residents who have since organised a campaign group to oppose the development.

After seeing the initial plans for himself and speaking to residents, Bill Esterson has vowed to fight the developer.

Speaking at the meeting, which Formby Labour Councillors Catie Page, Nina Killen and Peter Maguire also attended, the MP said: "This Conservative-led Government wants to build on the greenbelt because that's where their friends the developers can make most money.

"The fact that George Osborne is coming out encouraging local authorities to build on greenbelt, while signing a petition to oppose building on the greenbelt in his own constituency shows the duplicitous nature of the Tories in government.

"The Tories are accepting donations to their party, including from David Wilson Homes, and they are changing the planning rules in favour of these developers.

"That's why it is important that the people of Formby stand shoulder to shoulder, as they have done so far, to campaign against these plans which will see the bulldozers move in to Formby and tear up the character of our communities throughout Sefton."

Bill praised the Formby Residents' Action Group for organising the campaign.

Bill said: "Formby Residents' Action Group is doing a fantastic job co-ordinating this campaign.

"Thousands of people have signed the petition so far, which can be presented to the government once the 10,000 mark is reached and the government must respond.

"I'd like to thanks the hundreds of people who attended the meeting on Friday and who let me know their views about this issue.

"Most people I have spoken to agree that we need housing for our young people, but the community needs to be the ones who decide where those new houses go.

"This is the community of Formby. The people of Formby must be given a say on how their community evolves and develops. That's what localism is and what I and my colleagues will continue to fight for."