FORMBY
13 February 2019
Vol 26 l Issue 7
One of the youngsters from Schools Out Woodvale enjoyed wearing the police uniform
The long arm of the law just got shorter! YOUNGSTERS felt the long arm of the law when they were visited by the police... but it was all in good spirits as the officers talked to them about the work of the Merseyside force. Merseyside Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) visited School’s Out Woodlands After School Club based at Woodland Primary School to talk to the children about stranger danger; ways they can keep themselves safe; and the vital role the police play in helping and supporting the community. Nicholas Anderson from School’s Out said: “The children were able to try on some different items of police uniform, had the opportunity to have a look inside a police vehicle and had lots of fun testing out the sirens. “They really enjoyed the visit, learning a lot about the important work the police do and enjoyed having the opportunity to ask all their questions to police officers.”
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TIME UP FOR MOTORISTS AT STORE’S CAR PARK by Danielle Thompson
FORMBY residents have contacted the Champion to flag up concerns that unwitting motorists could be fined for parking at Waitrose car park in the evenings. Automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) cameras are now operational at the site on Three Tuns Lane, having come into force on Monday. Anyone who stays more than 90 minutes will be served with a parking notice for £70. But it’s the threat of a fine in the evening that has most alarmed residents as the car park is the last in the town where people could park for free when having a night out in Formby. The move, it is feared, could hit the town’s night-time economy with restaurants and bars hit, should the parking rules apply at night. Also affected will be people who use the car park to attend Our Lady of Compassion Church, Formby. Church members shared a post on social media at the weekend, which read: “Do you drive to church? Cameras to reinforce the 1.5 hour limit in Waitrose car park will be active from Monday, February 11, they will be in
The numberplate recognition cameras have been installed at the car park
operation every day of the week. If the 1.5 hour limit is exceeded, a £70 fine will be levied.” Originally the church owned land that the supermarket purchased to build on and the council owned the smaller car park that was next to this, meaning that the church now owns none of the land. For many years, the church had a verbal agreement with their supermarket neighbour that parishioners attending parish events could park in their car park, but that is now at an end. The car park is managed by Britannia Parking and penalty notices will be automatically issued and posted out later to the drivers’ addresses. One Champion reader, Lee Soul,
said: “This is outrageous! This is the very last car park in Formby where people could park for free in the evenings and it will hit restaurants and bars where it hurts. “It’s a hard enough economy to be trading in without a greedy firm trying to cream more money out of Formby residents. It was bad enough for the shops when daytime parking was hit but now 1.5 hours isn’t even long enough for a meal out and a drink. It is not even like you can go back and pop more money in the meter either – after 1.5 hours your time is up and that’s the end of it, you are going home!” Another Champion reader, Jamie Reade said: “It’s so frustrating as the supermarket is shut at night, it was a great way of running it as the supermarket was supported by shoppers during the day, then supported the village at night.” One of the new green signs reads: “Free customer car parking for one and a half hours. Camera controlled car park. See the sign near the store entrance for more details.” But there is no more information available on the other sign, or by asking staff, Lee Soul said. The Champion approached Waitrose for comment.
INSIDE THIS WEEK...
Joey’s big Boxer plea
Celebrations at Redgate! CROSSWORD See Page 34
THE UK’S LARGEST LETTERBOX CIRCULATION BY AN INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER! 164,303
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