Maghull Town Council (MTC) commissioned a local community survey throughout July to help shape the ongoing ambitious crowdfunding proposals, by the charity Friends of Maghull and District (FOMD), to improve Bobby’s Wood at Woodend in Maghull, situated at the junction of Northway and Liverpool Road South.
The survey was open to everyone but focussed particularly on knocking on over 600 houses closest to the site, providing residents with information sheets, Q&A sheets, survey and represented a wonderful opportunity to engage with the local community during a loosening of the pandemic restrictions. Most participants completed the survey online whilst a few completed hardcopies. MTC received nearly 300 responses, with the overwhelming majority of respondents from the L31 7_ _ in overall favour of the project and similar responses for each of the seven proposals. The full survey results are available on the MTC website http://www.maghull-tc.gov.uk/news with hard copies available on request. MTC will be happy to answer any further questions in relation to the survey and project at woodendcwp@gmail
Mr Phil Dillon (MTC Community Services Manager) stated that, “the survey built on a huge amount of previous canvassing on various media platforms to provide an excellent opportunity to engage even more with all residents, particularly those in the local area, resulting in some brilliant supportive feedback that will go a long way in sympathetically shaping the delivery of the proposals. An unexpected bonus was that nearly 30 people volunteered to form a Friends of Bobby’s Wood Group, something MTC is hoping to eventually develop across many of our 14 parks and 19 open spaces. If you are interested please contact me on 010515263705”.
Dr Frank Sharp (FOMD Trustee) “thanked everyone for their continued extraordinary community support and feedback which has been enormously helpful in considering the delivery. The people of Maghull are passionate about their environment and appear even more connected with nature during the pandemic. The crowdfunding project commenced in April and will complete in October. The community has raised 75% of the target, involving incredible individual cash and in-kind donations from local residents and recent larger donations from organisations including: Mr David Lenton, Wainhomes, Redrow, Aintree Homes, Spacehive, Spacecare, Sefton Council, Idverdi, Nationwide Fencing and The Tree Council.
“There are many elements to the project but our priority this year will be to (1) provide a safe environment for children and pets against the nearby 20,000 daily plus vehicles, by undertaking perimeter planting of ‘Mixed Wildlife Friendly Hedging’ (max height 2-3 feet) with 1,150 plants and protected by 92m of bird’s mouth knee high horizontal wooden rail fence. An ecology professor will undertake research to demonstrate further evidence of hedges reducing vehicle pollution by 60%. We will also prioritise (2) an ‘accessible pathway’ (eg disability, elderly, prams and vulnerable) to join together various destinations that will include the following: community led designed and managed planted borders; under-planting the current trees with free Mersey Forest donated tree whips, bulbs and other potential features next year dependent upon over funding.
Please help to get the project over the line, with the final 25% (£5859) needed before November by pledging or for further information just visit: www.spacehive.com/woodend or for cash donations at Morrisons, Dover Road – Post Office, The Chippy, and Blue Star”.