Formby residents have until Friday to help shape the town’s future as major Local Plan consultation closes
Formby residents have just days left to have their say on a major new Local Plan which will influence where development takes place, how many homes are needed and which areas should be protected across Sefton between 2029 and 2044.
The first consultation on Sefton Council’s new Local Plan closes at midnight this Friday, 18th September.
For Formby, this could be particularly significant.
The town has already experienced substantial housing development in recent years, not only through sites allocated under the existing Local Plan but through hundreds of additional homes which were not included within those original allocations.
Research previously carried out by Formby Bubble identified approximately 425 additional homes through windfall and other developments in Formby since 2012, on top of the approximately 1,000 homes allocated to Formby through the existing Local Plan.
That means the question of how much more development Formby can accommodate, and whether the infrastructure exists to support it, is likely to be one of the biggest local issues as Sefton prepares its next plan.
What happens this Friday?
Friday is not the deadline for approving the new Local Plan and no decisions on individual development sites will be made this week.
Instead, it marks the end of the first formal stage, known as the Local Plan Scoping Consultation.
Residents, businesses and community organisations are being asked what they believe the new Local Plan should cover and what its priorities should be.
This is therefore an important opportunity for Formby residents to put their views formally on record at the very beginning of the process.
The new Local Plan is expected to eventually become one of the most important documents governing development in Formby and across Sefton.
It will consider housing need and housing growth, infrastructure, transport, utilities, employment, town centres, regeneration, climate change, the natural environment, biodiversity and the Green Belt.
Has Formby already taken its fair share?
This is likely to be a major question for many residents.
Under Sefton’s existing Local Plan, adopted in 2017, around 1,000 homes were allocated to Formby.
However, Formby Bubble’s previous research identified a further approximately 425 homes through windfall and other developments since 2012, in addition to the Local Plan allocation.
These additional developments have added considerably to the number of new homes being built across the town.
For residents, therefore, the debate about the next Local Plan may not simply be about whether Formby needs more homes.
It is also about whether the town’s existing infrastructure has kept pace with the development which has already taken place.
Residents may want Sefton Council to consider the pressure on roads, traffic and public transport, GP surgeries and health services, schools, drainage and flooding infrastructure, utilities and other local facilities before allocating further major development.
There will also undoubtedly be considerable interest in the future protection of Formby’s Green Belt and the surrounding countryside and natural environment.
Call for Sites also closes on Friday
There is another extremely important process taking place alongside the consultation.
Sefton Council has issued a Call for Sites, inviting land to be put forward for consideration for possible future development.
That deadline is also midnight on Friday 18th September.
Sites can be suggested for a range of potential uses and anyone can submit land for consideration, regardless of whether they own it.
However, residents should not assume that land submitted through the Call for Sites will automatically be developed.
Sefton Council specifically states that submitting a site does not mean the Council will consider it suitable for development.
The sites put forward will instead become part of the evidence considered while the new Local Plan is prepared.
Formby Bubble will be watching this process particularly closely and will report on any significant sites in or around Formby which emerge for possible future development.
What should Formby residents comment on?
Residents do not need to be planning experts to respond.
This first stage is specifically designed to establish what people believe the new Local Plan should address.
For Formby, that could include future housing numbers, protection of the Green Belt, pressure on local roads, traffic congestion, schools, GP and health provision, drainage and flooding, public transport, employment opportunities, Formby Village, wildlife, biodiversity and protection of the town’s character.
Residents can also raise issues which they believe have resulted from development which has already taken place.
The important thing at this stage is making sure Formby’s concerns are formally heard before detailed policies and potential development sites begin to emerge.
What happens next?
This is only the beginning of a process which will continue for several years.
The Council is due to publish its first formal self assessment of progress by the end of October 2026.
A further consultation on the proposed content of the Local Plan and the evidence supporting it is scheduled for 2027.
Another major consultation on the proposed Local Plan is expected in 2028.
The Council currently expects to submit the plan for independent examination in December 2028, with adoption proposed for April 2029.
Once adopted, the new Local Plan is expected to guide development across Sefton until 2044.
Have your say before midnight on Friday
Anyone who wants to comment has until midnight on Friday 18th September 2026.
Residents can find out more about the new Local Plan and the consultation on Sefton Council’s website:
Residents can put their views forward directly through Sefton Council’s consultation portal here:
Comments can also be emailed to:
or sent by post to:
Planning Department
Magdalen House
Trinity Road
Bootle
L20 3NJ
With Formby having already experienced substantial development over recent years, this is an important opportunity for residents to have their say on what happens next.
The Local Plan that eventually emerges will potentially influence Formby’s development for another generation.
The deadline for this first opportunity to have your say is midnight this Friday, 18th September.
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