Formby – National Trust plans for Lifeboat Road

A Red Squirrel – What could be more symbolic of Formby and Little Altcar

The Liverpool Echo has the article on its website – see link below:-

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/controversial-plans-formby-beach-set-17239274

Extract from Echo article – ‘Contentious plans to build toilets, pay and display machines and security fencing at one of Merseyside’s most beautiful spots are set to get the green light this week – but not everyone is happy about them.

Formby beach boasts sweeping sand dunes as well as picturesque pine forests and grasslands nearby and when the weather is nice, daytrippers come from near and far.’

Maghull – North Station fence and cycle path

Maghull North Station as it was nearing completion in 2018

I’ve blogged about Maghull new 2nd railway station many times, often with a little frustration about the design details which have been left hanging well after the station opened.

Now don’t get me wrong (a Jim Sharpe’ism – Jim is a journalist on our local Champion newspaper) having campaigned for the station to be built I’m happy that it has been, but for the life of me some of the issues with it should not still be issues now, well over a year since it was opened.

The good news is that a significant length of the old decaying wooden fence left over from the former Moss Side Hospital site has now been removed along the site’s School Lane boundary. I think that fellow environmental campaigner Frank Sharp (no relation to Jim) will have had a hand in this via his chivying of Merseytravel etc.

Now about that cycle/footpath which opened recently and connects the new station with both School Lane and Park Lane. It’s very welcome but at the School Lane end there’s still no dropped kerb for cyclists to access it and the new station via the level access. I lose count of the number of times I’ve pointed this out to Sefton Council and Merseytravel. This photo illustrates:-

whilst at the Park Lane end it does have a dropped kerb:-

At neither end does the path have any pedestrian barriers though and I would have thought that barriers erected in a chicane-type arrangement would make things safer in respect of children running out onto the road.

Small things of detail in many ways, and yes I’m sure there are much bigger matters to think about, but never the less you’d think such straight forward and cheap to fix issues would be all a part of the station building and it’s wider access environment planning.

Click on the photos to enlarge them

Sefton – Walking routes accessible via mobility scooters

Some time ago Sefton Council produced a packet of 24 walks throughout the Borough. 3 of them are suitable for those using mobility scooters. I thought it may be worthwhile publishing the details of these routes:-

Click on each one to enlarge for reading.

Great Altcar – Fracking Moratorium – What does it mean?

Many Lydiate folk attended one of the local Moss Alliance meetings held in September:-

That Government has brought in a moratorium on fracking is on one level welcome but does it mean that fracking has effectively gone away for good, bearing in mind mid Sefton Borough has a potential fracking site being developed yards away in Great Altcar?

Probably our first reaction is one of saying, hang on we are in an election period so with fracking being so unpopular this could well be just a political ruse to try to take it off the political agenda. My view is this is exactly how we should view the moratorium.

Letter to Lydiate Parish Council from The Moss Alliance

The letter copied above from The Moss Alliance, the independent community group who are fighting the planning application (which is before Lancs County Council) to frack in Great Altcar, sums up the situation far better than I could. The matter will be discussed at the next meeting of Lydiate Parish Council.

Click on the letter to enlarge it for reading.

Lydiate – If I’d Looked up I might well have noticed! – Coppull Rd – Southport Rd path

There’s a street lamp in that tree somewhere

No sooner had I posted about the street lamp in the Lambshear Lane – Nornmington Close footpath being covered by the tree canopy than a resident contacted me to say the same is true of the 2 lamps on the Southport Road – Coppull Road footpath.

How I’d not noticed this myself I don’t know as I use the footpath and litter pick it. It seems I’ve simply not looked up and of course have not used it in the hours of darkness.

I’ve asked Borough Cllr. Pat O’Hanlon to take this up as with the other path.

Lydiate – Taking the dark path

Keith Page of Nursery Road mentioned to me that the footpath through to Normington Close from Lambshear Lane is not easily negotiated at night due to the street lamp in it being up within the canopy of trees.

In turn I raised the matter at a recent Lydiate Parish Council meeting where Borough Councillor Pat O’Hanlon was present. Pat took the matter up and I understand the tree which blocks the light will be attended to by the land owner. Interestingly, it also turns out the the street light is not switching off in daylight hours so that needs to addressed too by Sefton Council.

Note:- The street lamp is near where the path takes a sharp left turn into Normington Close