Formby First

Climate Change - What is your Carbon Footprint?

In the last fortnight I have spent a lot of my time, along with other colleagues, in researching and preparing an application for a Climate Change Challenge Bid Fund for a project here in Formby. One of the many agencies who provide support and advice is the Energy Savings Trust, they have a short video on their web site which explains how they work.

There is a reference to the Carbon Footprint tool on their web site. I've started a Formby Community Carbon Footprint web site . The home page for this site is here. Log on and add your details and get your own individual Carbon Footprint. Once more than 50 residents have joined, the tool will provide a realistic calculation for the whole of Formby.

Activity Report

Since my last posting I have been quite busy, particularly in regard to the preparation of the Climate Change Challenge Bid, to remind readers, Formby Parish Council has agreed to make a bid for Climate Change Challenge funds from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

Formby Parish Council has agreed to make a bid for Climate Change Challenge funds from the Department of Energy and Climate Change

I have attended the following meetings:

• A Parish Council workshop for the members on the topic of the 'Parish Plan' which includes Climate Change as an issue that needs to be addressed.(Monday 23 November)
• Formby Business Breakfast Forum where the members enthusiastically endorsed the Climate Change Challenge Bid plans.(Tuesday 24 November(
• A day conference held by the Energy Savings Trust at the Adelphi Hotel, this was particularly relevant to the Bid.(Wednesday 25 November)
• Climate Change Challenge Bid team at the swimming pool.(Friday 27 November)
• Formby Village Partnership at the Cafe D'Art, and which was focussed on the plans for next years Music Festival, but might be themed around Climate Change if the bid is successful.(Monday 30 November)
• Tonight I will be attending the normal monthly meeting of the Parish Council.
• Tomorrow I will be attending a workshop in Preston in which the focus will be on the preparation and completion of the Bid documents.

Digital TV Switchover

Helen Steward, Assistant Manager, Granada TV Region, Digital UK   has emailed asking if I could publish the following:

The Granada TV region began its switch on 4 November and will complete the process on 2 December this year – but what does it mean for you?  
Digital UK, the organisation leading the switchover process, is holding a series of digital drop-in events which aim to provide practical support and help with the switchover process.
The Digital UK team will be at Waitrose Formby on Thursday 26 November to answer all your questions about digital TV, including: 

• When digital switchover is happening and what the process is
• What the options are for converting to digital TV 
• What switchover means for recording and aerials 
• How to retune a Freeview digital TV or digital box 
• How eligible people can get a TV converted by the Switchover Help Scheme.

At Waitrose Formby

Three Tuns Lane Formby, L37 4AJ
Thursday 26 November
10am – 3pm

All events are on a drop-in basis and are free of charge.

Please do take advantage of this offer if you need help, making sense of the use of different keypads for a Digital Tuner and a TV set has taxed my mind too!

Sefton MBC Allotment Survey

Sefton MBC have finally got around to the start of the process of producing an Allotment  Strategy, after 35 years it's about time! (Sefton MBC came into being in 1974).

They have issued a consultation document which begins with the following statement:

The Council is reviewing the way it provides allotments in Sefton and we are keen to hear your views on the service we provide, the sites and plots we offer and any other comments you may have. This information will be used to help develop an Allotment Strategy over the next few months.

Please make you views known before 27 November 2009. A copy of the survey document is available on the Sefton MBC web site at:
http://www.sefton.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=2724

Formby prehistoric footprints

I've just come across this Hansard Report, which reports on a question asked yesterday in the House of Lords:

"To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to preserve the prehistoric animal footprints on Formby beach in Sefton Metropolitan Borough; and what grants are available for that preservation."{Lord Fearn (Liberal Democrat}

And the answer:

"The prehistoric footprints on Formby beach provide important insights into how animals and humans were moving about in the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods. We have taken the advice of specialists in this period. The human and animal footprints have been exposed in soft tidal silts through coastal erosion, and therefore cannot be preserved "in situ", since they are constantly eroded by the tide, but they can be recorded as they appear.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has earmarked funding of £1,174,000 towards proposals for a Landscape Partnership Scheme on the Sefton coast, which covers the area with the footprints.............{Lord Davies of Oldham (Deputy Chief Whip (House of Lords), HM Household; Labour} More

Looks like good news to me.