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."

Formby Labour Councillor Nina Killen tackles litter problem at Long Lane Ditch

Formby's new Labour Councillor Nina Killen has tackled a long running problem of litter at Long Lane Ditch.

Cllr Killen received complaints from residents that the ditch had again become strewn with litter.

She immediately contacted the council and urged them to take immediate action.

The ditch was cleared by the community payback team.

Cllr Killen said: "As soon as I raised this issue with Sefton Council they immediately took action to clear the ditch of litter.

"I am now working with council officers to ensure the site is cleared regularly.

"Formby Labour Action Team has had reports in the past of rats in the area and we hope that getting Long Lane Ditch on a schedule for regular clearing will help ensure that we keep the rat population under control.

"But Sefton Council is facing even more government cuts which means it is very difficult to get any additional resources. However, we will continue to work with Sefton Council and local residents to tackle the problem."

Cllr Killen is calling on people not to carelessly throw away their litter in the streets.

Cllr Killen said: "Where there are litter bins, people need to use them. If there are no litter bins immediately available, then people just need to carry the rubbish until one is.

"People shouldn't be throwing their litter away.

"We all have a responsibility to keep our communities clean and if we don't there are very clear environmental repercussions just like we are seeing at Long Lane."

Formby Labour Action Team celebrates success in bus shelter campaign

Formby Labour Councillor Catie Page is celebrating as her wait for a new bus stop shelter is finally over.

Cllr Page has been campaigning for a new bus shelter at Liverpool Road near to LA Fitness after being contacted by residents.

The bus stop, immediately opposite the old Lighthouse pub, had previously been a basic post stop.  

 

As it is a popular stop for people travelling to Crosby and Liverpool, Cllr Page launched a campaign to get a new shelter.

 

Her campaign was successful and the new shelter was installed last week.

 

Cllr Page said: "I am absolutely delighted the new shelter has been installed.

 

"That part of Liverpool Road is particularly exposed to the elements, so people waiting at the stop can be hit particularly hard by wind and rain. In the winter they are also subject to hail and snow.

"This new shelter will ensure that waiting passengers have some form of protection from the elements while waiting.

"Many of the people who contacted me about this issue were older passengers who found it particularly difficult to stand at the stop in all weather. Some were school children who make their way to school in the south of the borough. They were getting drenched in the rain while they waited for the bus.

 

"Now, thanks to this shelter, the many young and older people who use this bus stop can do so without getting soaked - and they can also take a seat while they wait."