Could Formby Village Lose Around 30 Public Parking Spaces? Planning Application Raises Wider Questions About the Village’s Future

A planning application currently being considered by Sefton Council has prompted concerns over what it could mean for the future of Formby Village, with fears that around 30 public parking spaces could effectively be lost if the proposals go ahead.

Application DC/2026/00533 seeks permission to convert the former gym above the Marks and Spencer Foodhall in Furness Avenue into ten residential apartments.

While bringing a long vacant building back into use may be welcomed by many, Formby Parish Council Chair Dave Irving believes the application has much wider implications than simply creating new homes.

The main concern centres on parking.

The private pay and display car park behind Marks and Spencer has, for many years, been one of the village’s principal parking areas, serving residents, visitors and shoppers using local independent businesses, cafés, restaurants, supermarkets and other services throughout Formby Village.

According to Mr Irving, if planning permission is granted, around 20 parking spaces within the car park would be allocated exclusively to residents of the new apartments. In addition, a further 10 spaces have already been designated for users of the recently opened padel courts at Formby Village Tennis Club.

If both changes take effect, around 30 parking spaces that are currently available for public use would no longer be available to shoppers.

The concerns come at a time when Formby has seen significant residential growth. Around 1,500 new homes have been built across the area over the past decade, increasing the local population and placing greater demand on village facilities. Despite this growth, no major additional public parking provision has been created within the village centre.

At present, shoppers mainly rely on just three principal parking areas in Formby Village: Sefton Council’s pay and display car park on Sumner Road, the private pay and display car park on Furness Avenue, and the Waitrose customer car park.

The Waitrose car park, which currently offers up to two hours of free parking, is already heavily used, not only by supermarket customers but also by visitors using other businesses throughout the village. As it is privately owned, there is no guarantee that the current parking arrangements will remain unchanged in the future. Should restrictions or charges ever be altered, additional pressure could be placed on the remaining village parking facilities.

Mr Irving believes this raises an important question about the long term future of Formby Village.

He says convenient parking is vital to the success of any shopping centre and warns that if parking becomes increasingly limited, some shoppers may choose to visit retail parks or neighbouring towns where parking is easier and more readily available. Any reduction in visitor numbers could have consequences for the many independent businesses that rely on regular footfall to thrive.

The planning application has also prompted discussion about the long term future of the Marks and Spencer site itself.

It has previously been reported that Marks and Spencer has explored opportunities for larger premises within Formby, with one location attracting attention in the past being land alongside the Formby Bypass. More recently, planning approval for a new Aldi store on the edge of Formby in neighbouring Ainsdale has led to further speculation about how retail provision in the area could evolve.

While there is no indication that Marks and Spencer intends to leave its current premises, Mr Irving says it is reasonable to ask whether introducing permanent residential apartments above the existing store could make any future redevelopment, expansion or alteration of the building more complicated should the retailer’s requirements change.

As one of Formby’s major anchor stores, Marks and Spencer attracts thousands of shoppers each week, many of whom also visit neighbouring independent shops, cafés and other businesses during their visit.

For that reason, Mr Irving believes the application is about far more than converting a vacant gym into apartments.

He says it is also about protecting the long term vitality of Formby Village, safeguarding shopper parking, supporting local businesses and ensuring future opportunities for investment are not unintentionally restricted.

Residents who wish to have their say are encouraged to read the planning application in full on Sefton Council’s planning portal and consider both the immediate proposals and the possible long term implications for the future of Formby Village before submitting any comments.