Bill Esterson calls for new pedestrian crossing without delay to accommodate McDonald’s foot traffic

Bill Esterson MP has called on Sefton Council to install a promised new pedestrian crossing in Formby "without delay" after McDonald's announced they would be opening the doors to their new restaurant on April 17. The MP, along with Labour councillors Catie Page and Nina Killen, lobbied Sefton Council for the road safety improvement after the restaurant chain applied for planning permission to open on the site of the former MJ's drive-thru on Altcar Road. The restaurant will open in under a month, but there is no fixed date yet for the installation of the crossing, according to the MP. Mr Esterson said: "I have asked the council to install the pedestrian crossing without delay. They have advised me that they are currently looking at procurement options with a view to having the works completed as soon as possible. Some of the equipment at the junction is in need of replacement so they are determining the scope of works that are necessary." When the McDonald's planning application went in, Mr Esterson and Cllrs Page and Killen wrote to Sefton Council's chief  planning officer to say that they were concerned about the increased number of pedestrians who would be using the junction on Altcar Road, across the bypass and between the Tesco petrol station and the McDonald's site, particularly young people. Alongside planning applications, the council can often negotiate what is called Section 106 agreements for improved infrastructure. The councillors and MP asked that McDonald's be asked to contribute to a light controlled pedestrian crossing at the junction on Altcar Road. They wrote: "While we broadly support the application which will bring around 65 jobs to the town and will mean a currently empty building will be put back into use, we are concerned about the safety of the nearby junction on the Formby bypass. McDonald’s is likely to be hugely popular with young people, who may travel there on foot from the main residential part of Formby, crossing the busy Formby bypass in the process.” "Currently there is just one light-controlled pedestrian crossing across the bypass. There is no light-controlled pedestrian crossing across Altcar Road on either side of the junction.” "We ask that through the planning system or otherwise, the safety of this junction is improved for pedestrians by installing light-controlled crossings across Altcar Road on both side of the bypass, and ideally on the fourth side also, so that no matter where pedestrians cross there is a light-controlled pedestrian crossing to ensure their safety." The council initially responded: "Unfortunately, because the planning application is for very minor alterations to what is an existing and similar use, it is unlikely that it will be possible to secure this via the current planning application. However, I have  passed your comments on to the planning case officer and to Highways colleagues so that they can consider as part of the wider assessment." The chief planning officer soon after came back to the Labour representatives with: "Just to let you know that following extensive discussions with the applicants, we were unable to secure any financial contributions via the planning application, due to the minor nature of the proposals, in effect being tweaks to the elevations and a remodelling of the car parking layout, which do not alter the fact that it is already an existing drive thru restaurant with planning permission.” "However, notwithstanding the above and acknowledging the very real concerns expressed in your earlier email, we have separately been discussing with the land owner the need to make the pedestrian environment safer. In combination with funding that Highways have already secured externally and earmarked from internal budgets, the land owner has made up a significant shortfall, such that a pedestrian light crossing across the existing signalled junction at Altcar Rd can now be delivered. This will now be expedited." The MP and councillors also raised concerns about litter and were assured that this would be addressed "via appropriate provision of bins and management of their site". Bill Esterson MP said: "I am pleased that the extra pedestrian controlled lights are going to be installed as safety must be the top priority. I am now calling on Sefton Council to make sure the work is carried out as soon as possible as the new McDonald's is about to open." PIC (l-r): Cllr Nina Killen, Cllr Catie Page and Bill Esterson MP at the junction where the new pedestrian crossing will be installed.