The Formby Blog

Does Formby Need More Trees?

I guess most of us living in Formby assume we live surrounded by a large number of trees. The recent village tree felling drama shows that the community seems to value trees. I was surprised, therefore when I came across the following.

Long before Homo sapiens first appeared, nature had cloaked the earth in a green mantle that nurtured all existing forms of life as well as those yet to be. The tattered remnants of that verdant covering are our inheritance.

No longer continuous, it now exists only where we humans allow it to remain.

Other pieces are usurped, deemed too valuable to be left "undeveloped," as civilization consumes them to feed its insatiable
growth.

(Source: Green Nature Human Nature by Charles A Lewis)

#TreeCanopyCover levels vary wildly between English towns, from 3% up to 45%! How does your town compare? https://t.co/9gMTggZxuq @ForestryCommEng pic.twitter.com/kMTzS2dHfX

— The Woodland Trust (@WoodlandTrust) March 30, 2018

So how much tree cover does Formby have? Could. should we have more?

Despite the pinewoods, it appears that we may be wrong in our assumptions. According to this survey, Formby only has a relatively low 17% tree cover. But we know that trees are a vital component in combatting increasingly powerful climate change effects.

I don't know about you, but so far in the current local elections, all I've heard from candidates is the sharp exchange of insults or contrary standstill proposals. I want to vote for a candidate that has a series of definite ideas to take Formby forward.

I suggest a concerted attempt to increase the tree cover would be one small local step forward in facing the global threat from Climate Change.

Urban Forest Cover or Canopy Cover is the layer of leaves, branches, and stems of trees that cover the ground when viewed from above.

The principal aim of a canopy cover assessment is to help decision makers understand the urban forest resource, particularly the amount of tree canopy that currently exists and the potential amount that could exist.

Measuring canopy cover has helped city planners, urban foresters, mayors, councils, local authorities, and communities see trees and forests in a new way, focusing attention on green infrastructure as a key component of community planning, sustainability and resilience.

(Source: http://www.urbantreecover.org)

When you look at other communities tree cover statistics using the tool it's clear that some towns are taking this issue seriously. Here's an opportunity for us all.

With support and leadership from our local Councillors, every one us living in Formby could be encouraged to 'Plant a Tree' for our town and the future of the earth.

Formby could, with a bit of imagination, inspiration and public involvement become an Arboretum Town. A tree friendly town, a Greener town.

When and if you next see one of the candidates ask them what are they going to do for the future and tell them you want positive, not negative suggestions to take Formby Forward together as a community.

 What do you think?

Formby Parish Council Election

At the forthcoming local elections residents of Harington Ward get the opportunity to exercise an extra vote. Following the recent resignation of Cllr Mike Coles, the Parish Council is seeking a replacement

A number of candidates have been proposed and their details are shown below. 

Candidate	Home Address	Description (if any)	Name of Proposer	Reason why no longer nominated*
MCCANN Susan	49 Hawksworth Drive, Formby, Liverpool, L37 7EY	Formby Residents Action Group	Bennett Maria
MULROONEY Siobhan Marie	19 Derby Road, Formby, L37 7BN	Conservative Party Candidate	Dutton Denise
RICHARDS Carol Ann	Asparagus Cottage, St. Lukes Church Rd, Formby, L37 2DF	Labour Party	Whiteside Anita

*Decision of the Returning Officer that the nomination is invalid or other reason why a person nominated no longer stands nominated.

I don't know about you, I'm looking for someone who proposes new positive ideas to take Formby forward, rather than a candidate who bases their campaign on the failures of the others or their parties. 

We live in hope. 

 

Formby Village Market Decision Day

Formby Parish Councillors attended the customary monthly meeting on Tuesday evening at 7.00pm in the Formby Library. The meeting agenda was full but included a number of important decisions including the future of the Formby Village Market and the tree stump left in the village following the tree felling. 

The Good Wool Shop Stall 2017

A copy of the full agenda is available via the link at the bottom of the page. It's well worth reading in its entirety, particularly the group reports which include details of discussions on other matters such as the Neighbourhood Plan and the proposal for support for the Formby Academy School Sports Facility.

Agenda

1.0 To receive Apologies

2.0 To Receive Declarations of Interest

3.0 Public Forum (the meeting will be adjourned for this item)

4.0 Previous Minutes

4.1 To consider and approve the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 6 March 2018.

6.0 Matters of Report from Previous Meeting – for information only

7.0 Planning Applications – Sefton’s weekly list email, also available on Sefton Council’s website.

7.1 To note current position on Formby Development Sites in Sefton’s Local Plan.

8.0 To discuss and resolve the following:

8.1 To discuss the results of the survey on the Formby Market

8.2 To decide whether to support the return of the Formby Market in 2018

8.3 To approve the purchase of litter picking equipment up to a value of £150 to support the volunteers at beach cleaning events

8.4 To agree in principle for Sefton Council to start negotiations with landowners as a potential precursor to the drafting of legally binding agreements with landowners in relation to (and without prejudice to) the application for the modification of rights of way submitted on August 2017. 

8.5 To consider the parish council’s membership of the Sefton Area Partnership of local Councils

8.6 To consider whether to appoint a new representative for the SAPLC

8.7 To decide whether to request that Sefton Council remove the tree stump remaining in the village prior to any artistic remodelling and relocation.

8.8 To consider whether to contract with the Local Council Advisory Service for the Data Protection Officer services at a cost of £150 per annum.

9.0 To authorise Payments (enclosed)

10.0 Chairman’s Report

11.0 To receive a report on the Draft Neighbourhood Plan

12.0 To receive the following reports – enclosed for information only

            Clerk’s report

            General Projects Group minutes

            Environment Group minutes

            Finance Group minutes

13.0 Date of Next Ordinary and Annual Meeting – Tuesday 1 May 2018 to be held in the Meeting Room, Formby Library at 7pm

Members of the press and public are welcome to attend

Full agenda and minutes

 

Election Notice for Formby Parish Council Published

Sefton Council has published a Notice of Election for a vacancy on Formby Parish Council. An extract from the notice is shown below.

NOTICE OF ELECTION
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Election of a Parish Councillor for the Parish Ward listed below

Parish Ward
Number of Parish Councillors to be elected
Formby (Harington Ward)
One

1. Forms of nomination for Parish Elections may be obtained at Sefton MBC, Bootle Town Hall, Oriel Road, Bootle, L20 7AE from the Returning Officer electors@sefton.gov.uk who will, at the request of an elector for any electoral area prepare a nomination paper for signature.

2. Nomination papers must be delivered to the Returning Officer, Sefton MBC, Bootle Town Hall, Oriel Road, Bootle, L20 7AE on any day, Monday to Friday between 10.00am and 4.00pm, after the date of this notice but no later than4.00pm on Friday 6 April 2018.

3. If the election is contested, the poll will take place on Thursday 3 May 2018

(For more information contact the Sefton Council Electoral Registration Officer)

 

Future of Hightown Surgery Questioned

Local MP Bill Esterson raised the issue of the closure of Hightown Surgery in Parliament. Here he is asking the Minister to intervene. 

Asked the minister to intervene to save Hightown GP surgery. Patients were promised it would be kept open, then told it would close. Government needs to step in and save the surgery. Not good enough to hide behind CCG. @chamiltonbbc @bbcmerseyside @DanielHewittITV @Alison1mackITV pic.twitter.com/Wv4Kq9MIut

— Bill Esterson (@Bill_Esterson) March 20, 2018