URGENT – 4 days to act on Fleetwood Farm (Planning Committee 20th Nov)
West Lancashire Borough Council’s Planning Committee will be meeting this Thursday to decide the major housing development proposed by the Council’s own company, Tawd Valley Developments, at Fleetwood Farm, Banks.
This is a critical moment for our village – and we only have 4 days left to make our voices heard.
🗓 Committee Meeting Details
Date: Thursday 20th November 2025
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Council Chambers, 52 Derby Street, Ormskirk, L39 2DF
A strong community presence in the room is essential.
💬 You CAN Still Comment
Although the main consultation period has ended, the Council is still accepting new public comments because further documents were uploaded recently.
So far only 14 residents have submitted new objections to the latest documents.
With 1,700+ petition signatures, even a fraction of us commenting again could influence or delay the decision.
Planning Portal:
https://pa.westlancs.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=SNVM8ARHLJC00
Click “Documents” and review the newest uploads.
Then click the “Comments” tab and submit your objection.
Please focus on the latest documents (heritage, drainage, design, ecology, highways, etc.) and say why you feel they are still not good enough.
⚠️ Why This Matters
Fleetwood Farm is the last realistic location that could become a proper village square for Banks – a central hub with:
community facilities
small retail units
local workspace
sensitively designed homes that respect our village character
If the current housing-only scheme is approved unchanged, this opportunity will be lost forever.
🚫 Likely Negative Impacts if Approved
You can use any of these in your objection:
Permanent loss of a historic farmstead central to Banks’ identity
No village square or community/retail hub – just another estate
Increased flooding and drainage risks on Church Road
More traffic and safety conflicts outside the pharmacy
Overall net loss of biodiversity locally; insufficient coastal mitigation
Lower amenity and poor accessibility for future residents
Conflicts with multiple Local Plan policies (EN4, EN2, EN3, GN3, IF2)
✍️ One-Minute Objection Template
You can copy and paste this, then add a line or two in your own words:
Subject: 2024/1208/FUL – Fleetwood Farm – Objection
The latest plans still fail on heritage, biodiversity, drainage, design and highway safety. They conflict with EN4, EN2, EN3, GN3 and IF2 of the West Lancashire Local Plan.
Please refuse, or at minimum defer, until a heritage-led redesign, deliverable BNG, funded coastal mitigation, full SuDS, and a pharmacy-frontage safety audit are secured.
[Your Name, Address]
📧 Email Your Objection (copy all for visibility)
Planning:
nicola.cook@westlancs.gov.uk
plan.apps@westlancs.gov.uk
member.services@westlancs.gov.uk
Ward Councillors:
cllr.defreitas@westlancs.gov.uk
thomas.defreitas@lancashire.gov.uk
Cllr John Howard – cllr.howard@westlancs.gov.uk | 📞 07795 200514
Party Contact:
chairman@southportconservatives.org
MP:
patrick.hurley.mp@parliament.uk
🏪 Local Businesses – We Need You
If you own or run a business and would consider renting or buying:
a small retail unit
a workshop
a studio space
a place within a new village square
…please contact Cllr John Howard. This is vital evidence that Banks needs mixed-use development, not housing only.
📧 cllr.howard@westlancs.gov.uk
📞 07795 200514
📸 Evidence That Helps
If you can, please send any of the following with your objection:
Dated photos/videos of flooding or surface water on Church Road
Photos of traffic congestion outside the pharmacy(especially 8–9am, 12–1pm, 3–4pm, 5–6pm)
Old photos/maps or historical info showing the importance of Fleetwood Farm
🗣 Want to Speak at Committee?
If you’d like to speak or support others at the committee meeting, please contact the Parish Council as soon as the final details are confirmed.
Even one or two strong local voices in the room can make councillors think twice.
📢 Please Share
Please forward this message to:
neighbours and family
WhatsApp and Facebook groups
local community pages
This really could be the final opportunity to influence the future of Banks.
Every objection matters. Every attendee matters.
Please act now.
Support now.