NEW FERRY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
ORIGINS:
New Ferry Residents Association (NeFRA) was formed by a group of like-minded residents and business people who had ideas on how the town should be improved following decades of neglect. A steering committee was formed in 1999 and the group wrote and published the pioneering document, the “New Ferry Regeneration Action Plan”, in 2000. This document came about after considerable consultation with the residents and businesses of New Ferry at a series of public meetings that were held.
When the Action Plan was published, it was well received by Wirral Borough Council, who took onboard many of the recommendations contained within it. Many of NeFRA’s suggestions and goals have since been incorporated into a variety of Council plans, including the Local Area Plan for our part of the Wirral.
Between 2000 and 2006, senior Wirral Council officers met with NeFRA to progress many of the actions. Together, they set up the Wirral Farmer’s Market, installed CCTV cameras in the shopping centre, and helped to agree the priorities for the A41 Corridor Strategy which resulted in new pavements, railings and lighting columns being installed. The Action Plan was revised and updated in 2008 and will be revised again in 2022 following the many actions now being put into place to regenerate New Ferry since the devastating explosion in the town centre in March 2017.
GET INVOLVED:
New Ferry Residents Association organises public meetings on an occasional basis as and when needed to consult on important local issues. All members of the community are invited to come along, to hear what we are trying to achieve and to tell us what they think needs doing.
The group also organises the annual New Ferry Festival, and works with the New Ferry Community Land Trust and New Ferry Traders Association to organise markets in the precinct and other community events.
The team is also is looking for people with new ideas to help us improve our area, and for those with pots of money to help us achieve our goals. It is a non-political group, but will work with and are willing to receive help from anyone who has the interests of New Ferry and its community at heart.
If you would like to offer your time in helping with community issues, please email us at newferryonline@gmail.com
Founder members of New Ferry Residents Association, Mark Anthony Craig & the late Arthur Waller MBE
NEW FERRY COMMUNITY LAND TRUST
New Ferry Community Land Trust was set up in autumn 2018 by a group of local business people and residents who were concerned that the rebuilding of New Ferry following the 2017 explosion would take too long to protect the remaining businesses in the district centre.
With so many shops in New Ferry in poor condition and owners unwilling to invest in them to make them available for people wanting to set up their new businesses, the CLT aims to change things by purchasing empty retail properties, refurbish and return them to active use. This programme is to be supported by a grant from the Office of the Combined Authority for Merseyside.
The group also organise monthly litter picks in the District Shopping Centre [currently suspended due to Covid].
Find out more about the CLT, its activities and how you can join as a member to support it.
FRIENDS OF SHOREFIELDS NATURE PARK
Shorefields Nature Park has an informal Friends Group who care about this wonderful stretch of public open space overlooking the River Mersey. Their aim is to work together to protect the piece of parkland, and are seeking to work with Wirral Borough Council on a future programme of tree replacement to replace the existing aging stock which gives the space its unique character. You can join and follow the group on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/537633386972960/
Shorefields Nature Park, Wirral
Consultation on COMMUNITY POLICING
[Announced 01 March 2021. Expires: not yet determined]
Message from PC Colin Anderson, Merseyside Police to all residents (New Ferry and surrounding districts):
POLICING IN THE WIRRAL COMMUNITY (SURVEY)
Days of action or targeted operations in your community do achieve good results. We wish to increase their effectiveness by gathering your feedback, thoughts and opinions on matters that concern you in your Community. Your feedback will be used to inform future days of action and help us improve our services.
Can everyone please fill in the survey. In relation to question 1. "How did you hear about this survey?" can you please tick "other" and put my collar number 2478.
Colin Anderson, Con Community Policing
LP Community Team Wirral 2
