🛑 Save Fleetwood Farm, Banks — Demand a Better Plan!
 
Tawd Valley Developments have submitted updated documents trying to push forward their planning application for Fleetwood Farm, Church Road, Banks (Ref: 2024/1028/FUL).

Despite hundreds of pages of new technical reports, the facts are clear:
🚫 The development is still wrong for Banks. The new submissions show even more serious problems.

The Planning Committee meeting date likely been delayed due to the new submissions— but it's coming soon.
We must make it crystal clear: Fleetwood Farm deserves better. Banks deserves better.

What’s wrong with the new submissions?
 
Highways and Traffic Problems

Traffic will get worse — longer queues, no new crossings, no road upgrades.
Unsafe entrances — site access points poorly designed for busy peak times.
Bin collection points block pavements — dangerous for pedestrians, forcing people onto the road.
Flawed assumptions — traffic data is based on old modelling, not updated surveys.
 
Flood Risk and Drainage Failures
Floodwater will overflow — official maps show floodwater could spill onto Church Road and nearby homes.
Over-reliance on soakaways — risky in an area like Banks with a high water table.
Massive increase in impermeable surfaces — more concrete, less drainage.
No new flood basins or wetlands — drainage plans depend on underground tanks that could fail.
 

Overdevelopment and Poor Layout
Overcrowded estate design — tiny gardens, barely any green public space.
No new facilities — no play parks, no community spaces, no shop units.
Loss of village character — it would look like a dense urban estate, not a rural village.
 
Environmental Damage
Mature hedgerows and wildlife habitats bulldozed.
Minimal tree planting and landscaping — nowhere near enough to replace the environmental loss.
Increased car dependency — no walkable facilities = more carbon emissions.
 
Pressure on Local Services
No extra GP places — and Banks surgeries are already stretched.
No extra school places — even though more families would be moving in.
No public transport improvements — new residents would rely entirely on cars.
 
Conflict of Interest
Tawd Valley Developments is owned by West Lancashire Borough Council itself.
This means the Council is both:

The developer (seeking permission)
The decision-maker (granting permission)
👉 This raises serious questions about fairness, transparency, and whether the community’s voice will be properly heard.

Cumulative Impact
Fleetwood Farm is not happening in isolation.
Other developments in and around Banks and West Lancashire are already putting pressure on roads, schools, and GP surgeries.
👉 Fleetwood Farm would tip that pressure even further — with no clear plan to cope.

 
Conflict with West Lancashire's own Local Plan

West Lancashire Borough Council’s Local Plan emphasizes:

Protecting the distinct character of rural villages
Managing flood risk carefully
Ensuring developments meet local needs (not just build houses for profit)
👉 Fleetwood Farm’s current plan fails to meet these Local Plan goals.

 
✅ What we want for Fleetwood Farm
Mixed-use development:
Shops, cafés, community facilities — not just endless houses.
Real green spaces:
Public parks, tree corridors, wetland areas to protect against flooding.
Safe roads and footpaths:
Real investment, not vague promises.
A plan that reflects the real needs of Banks.
 
🗳️ Ask the local election candidates where they stand!
✅ We know Thomas Andrew De Freitas (Conservative candidate) opposes the Fleetwood Farm plan.
✅ Patrick Hurley (Labour MP) has also written against the plan.
✅ But what about the others?

📧 Contact every North Meols election candidate:

Anne Mary Fennell (Labour Party)
📩 Anne.Fennell@westlancashire.gov.uk
Thomas Andrew De Freitas (Conservative Party)
📩 Thomas.DeFreitas@westlancashire.gov.uk
Mike Harris (Reform UK)
📩 Mike.Harris@westlancashire.gov.uk
Charlotte Houltram (Green Party)
📩 Charlotte.Houltram@westlancashire.gov.uk
Tina Maria Stringfellow (Liberal Democrats)
📩 Tina.Stringfellow@westlancashire.gov.uk
 
📩 Sample Email You Can Send
Here’s a simple email you can copy and send to every candidate:

 
Subject: Fleetwood Farm Development – Your Position?

Dear [Candidate Name],

I am a resident of Banks and I’m very concerned about the proposed Fleetwood Farm development.

Will you pledge to oppose the current housing-only plans and support a better future for the site — with shops, green space, and real community facilities?

Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Postcode]

📧 Send your concerns directly to West Lancashire Borough Council too
As well as contacting election candidates, you can email your objections directly to the Planning Department handling this application.

✅ Email for objections/comments:

📩 plan.apps@westlancs.gov.uk
✅ Be sure to include:

Your full name and address (required for comments to be valid)
The planning application reference: 2024/1028/FUL (Fleetwood Farm, Church Road, Banks)

 
📈 Petition Update: Over 1,300 Signatures!
We have passed 1,300 signatures — but we need even more before the Planning Committee meets!

👉 Please share this petition today.
👉 Help show West Lancashire Council that Banks will not be ignored.

 
✍️ Sign and Share — Protect Banks!  Petition ·
✅ Save Fleetwood Farm.
✅ Demand real planning, not just profit.
✅ Protect the future of our village.

 
This petition reflects the concerns of local residents based on publicly available planning documents submitted to West Lancashire Borough Council.