This Community Plan is a document representing how the community may develop in the future.  It is designed to set out objectives and outline strategies for a range of plans and proposals to be taken forward, subject to a consultation programme over the next few months.

In 2009 Formby Parish Council elected to instigate the production of their first Community Plan.  This decision is intended to influence the direction of Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council’s draft ‘Core Strategy’ as part of the Government’s agenda which encourages local communities to have more say in how services are delivered within their area. A small team of Councillors and other representatives have formed a steering group, who are charged with preparing the first draft for approval by the Formby Parish Council.

A Community Plan is an opportunity for the whole community to voice their opinion on what action they wish to see taken in their local area in the future.  We as residents decide what is important to us, what features and characteristics of the parish we value, what we see as local problems and opportunities, how we want the community to develop in the future and most importantly, what we or others need to do to make our vision become a reality.  It will provide us with evidence of need and commitment, which may be used to influence local authorities, service providers and contributors.

Although the plan seeks to identify the problems the community faces, it should not obscure the positive features of Formby including:
· An attractive coastal setting
· A strong sense of community
· A safe and friendly environment
Objectives listed in this plan are not guaranteed to be achieved. Inclusion in the Plan simply denotes an intention on the part of the community to work together to try and achieve it. Some issues will be difficult, and may take a long time to achieve, if ever.
The publication of the Community Plan is not the end of the process.  As some projects are completed, new challenges will undoubtedly appear and the Plan will need to be reviewed periodically to reflect these changes. Finally, the community and the Parish Council will need to work together to move these actions forward so that future improvements to the Parish will be realised.