Formby First

The Neighbourhood Plan Process

I came across a handy graphic that summarises the process involved in producing a neighbourhood plan. To see it in detail click on the image below.

(Source: The Handy Guide to Planning 2012 at http://www.urbanforum.org.uk/ accessed 22 May 2013)

In Formby the two local Parish Councils are at different stages in the process. Formby Parish Council is at the second stage. It has applied for a neighbourhood area to be designated. and is waiting for Sefton MBC to respond.

Little Altcar Parish Council includes most of the southern edge of the town. The agriculural land between Liverpool Road and Formby By-Pass along with the Power House site are included within it's boundaries, they are known to be subject to potential housing development.

At it's meeting on 22nd May 2013 Little Altcar Parish Council will consider whether of not to proceed with the process. At present the Council has not decided on any course of action.

A close look at the graphic illustrates above some of the steps and constraints involved.

 

Village Heritage Boards Finally Installed

Two brand-new 'Heritage Boards' have finally been installed in the village. One outside the swimming pool and the other outside Barclay's Bank.

I first suggested this idea in 2006 after I had visited Frodsham Village to look at their scheme.

Frodsham has  more  old buildings which is an advantage, nonetheless, in my view a similar scheme would benefit Formby. It's taken a long- time to get here, but I thoroughly approve.

I wrote about the idea on this blog in 2009.

The Parish Council has for some time been considering installing heritage boards. I visited Frodsham in 2006 and took a series of photographs to explain my suggestion. After a series of conversations ........ the Parish Council embarked on the 'Village Project'' which has led to several changes. Formby Civic Society have been approached about the idea of a 'Heritage Scheme' and I hope they support the Frodsham model. In the slides that follow I have included photographs that illustrate the potential of a scheme.

• There is a nice planter donated by a local society, thus sharing the costs.
• Even when an original building has gone the local blue plaque scheme records the history of the people and the building.
• Other plaques record brief histories of buildings.
• In my view Formby deserves a clock and the type illustrated is relatively cheap but very attractive and functional.
• The heritage board is next to one of the public houses and this shown on the board. One of the slides shows this building standing next the heritage board, look for it as the slides change.

What do you think? Do you agree with me that this type of scheme would enhance Formby? Should there be similar schemes for other parts of the town, Freshfield for instance?

The original slides are available here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seanbrady/sets/72157602763835931/

The present installation falls far short of my original ideas, for instance the 'Heritage Walk' has somehow migrated away from the village. Originally the idea was to make the village a place to visit in its own right. Formby is popular, but many visitors came and go without ever setting foot in our village, which is the 'heart of our town'.

In common with Frodsham activists I share the idea that Formby should be a 'Destination Town'. Despite the loss of the 'Portas Town' funding, perhaps Sefton MBC’s mysterious Capital Grant mentioned in my last posting will help to realise this dream.

What do you think? Do these ideas listed above still have merit?

Further references to the Frodsham scheme on this blog:

http://www.formbyfirst.org.uk/2009/06/meetings-and-events.html
http://www.formbyfirst.org.uk/2008/12/shop-local-action-group.html
http://www.formbyfirst.org.uk/2008/12/formby-forward.html

Formby Parish Council Loses Funding Opportunity

Mary Portas and her report

Last February I suggested Formby Parish Council should become a 'Portas Town' Team. This would have enabled them to submit a bid for Central Government funds.

In the end Formby Parish Council did not submit a bid.

You can find the original posting here: "Parish Council Should Bid for a Town Team" as well as other stories that describe the progress of the suggestion.

The Portas Town scheme was popular and oversubscribed and some of the successful original applicants included Parish and Town Councils. Since then applicants that formed Town Teams and more importantly made a bid, even if it failed, have been awarded a sum of £10,000 pounds in a second funding award. This was given by central Government to each official applicant. Formby Parish Council missed out on this second award because it did not apply for the first one.

As a result Formby Parish Council is now ineligible for yet another large grant.

Sefton Cabinet members meet this week to discuss  the ‘High Street Innovation Fund'. The document in front of the Cabinet member’s states:

"To note the current Town Team partnerships that exists within Crosby,  Maghull, Southport and Waterloo and their agreed activities... Agree that the £100,000 High Street Innovation fund be allocated as follows;  Crosby - £17,000, Maghull - £17000, Southport - £49,000 and Waterloo -
£17,000"

The Council document goes onto comment:

"By allocating the above amounts to the Town Teams it will allow partners to create community and economic resilience within the Town Centres, while also allowing the Town Teams to implement a number of their activities. The funding combined with their already allocated £10,000 Portas Pilots monies will allow the Town Teams to plan a sustainable model that will enable them to co-ordinate future activity and map out the future of their Town Centres."

As a former member of the Parish Council I can only express my bitter disappointment at the inertia shown by our local Council members. Their failure to be proactive in the first place has led to the loss of considerable funding that Formby could ill afford to lose. Perhaps as much as around £22,000, the equivalent of half the annual precept.

In my view this failure ought to be acknowledged, the Council should resign. The citizens of Formby deserve an opportunity to elect others more willing to be active for the common good.

The Parish Council began in 2003 and initially received praise for its energy and actions. It is sadly merging into obscurity and anonymity. With the honourable exception of a couple of members, too many of the Council seem to be content to be members in name only.

 

Street Lighting

In the next few weeks Sefton may decide to reduce the scale of street lighting in Formby. The decision to first 'light up Formby' was made in November 1897. Here's how the Liverpool Echo reported the story at the time.

THE LIGHTING OF FORMBY.

Last evening, a public meeting of the ratepayers of Formby, convened bv the Formby Parish Council, was held at the Jubilee Hall, for the purpose of considering the advisability of lighting the township.

Mr. John Formby presided, and there was a crowded attendance. After a long discussion, it was resolved that the roads of the township should be lighted.
(Source: Liverpool Echo - Friday 12 November 1897) 

Sefton is asking should 'Council Tax should go up?', clear evidence that hard decisions will be made. Perhaps for the first time in over 100 years the roads of our town will be darker at night.

What do you think? Let me have your views via the 'Your Comments' link.

 

 

Formby Parish Council Meeting

Formby Parish Council meets on Tuesday evening 2 October at 7pm in Formby Library.

There are quite a number of items of interest on the agenda of this meeting. The General Purpose Committee makes a number of recommendations including grants towards the costs of the Christmas tree and the Christmas Lights.

Other items include the Village Improvement Scheme, a report about Rights of Way and improvements to the Rosemary Lane to Lonsdale Road footpath.

The minutes of the previous meeting are available on the Parish Council website:   formbyparishcouncil.org.uk