March 2022 - Update

We are about to start our public consultation about the future of Compton Park.
The following update is from Jason McCormack who will be leading on this phase of
the project.
“I acknowledge that those who live closest to Compton Park will have the greatest
interest in the future of the park.  With this in mind, we intend to offer everyone who
lives close to the park a chance to have their say on the future of the park. 
I would like to invite anyone with an opinion, positive or negative, on what the future
of the park should look like to get in touch with me to arrange attendance at one of a
series of focus groups. The initial focus groups will be for those who live closest to
the park.
Our primary objective is for this precious green space to become an asset to the
community by ensuring that the park, which has for too long been neglected and has
already gained a reputation for anti-social behaviour, becomes of focus for positive
social behaviour.
To achieve this. we want to hear what the community wants – or doesn’t want - from
the park. 
We will support the Birkdale Primary School’s plan for a Forest School area. A few
trees can seem like a forest to the smallest of children. A place of wonder with areas
of shade where mini-beasts are king. Where trees rise to meet the sky. A place
where skills that most children will not learn at school can be passed down the
generations. How to climb a tree, build a small campfire with supervision from trained
adults, or learn about the mini-beasts who live in wooded areas.
For the pupils of the school, the park will be their piece of grass. A playing field for a
school without a playing field. Many of us grew up in a time when every school had a
playing field. Birkdale Primary School children do not.
Birkdale does not have a quality all weather playing surface. There are 4G pitches in
Ainsdale, Hillside and the Town Centre. We feel that a local facility shared between
the school and the community would enhance pride in the local area reduce anti-
social behaviour, and promote fitness and mental health by providing the opportunity
for structured social activity and sport for all.
We want to hear every idea for the park, big or small, as we aspire for better in our
local area. We also want to hear every concern.
I completely understand that an elderly person living alone opposite the park may be
gripped with fear that hordes of youths might descend on the park at all times of day
and night. For this reason, I am happy to meet with or speak on the phone to anyone
with any concerns as a matter of urgency. All correspondence will be private and we
will not be dismissing any views that we collect during the consultation period and
beyond. 

I am determined that my children and everyone who lives locally will be able to
benefit from any improvements at the park.
For example, we have plans for the park to be included in the annual Southport Arts
Trail between 4 th - 28 th June, and will be organising an invitational 5 a side football
competition for 8 – 13-year-olds on Easter Monday this year.
We would love to be able to host community events like fun days or an outdoor
cinema, set aside time for mental health advocates to gather together with groups to
walk around the park or chat with other likeminded people.  Allow time for elderly
residents to gather to meet friends and neighbours so that they feel less alone, and
even to host a grower’s market for local residents with allotments to share, show off
or sell or donate produce. 
All of these great ideas have come from the community and we believe that they will
bring more visitors to the park, all of whom, we will encourage to visit on foot or by
bicycle.
I understand that some households do not have a garden and we want the public
area of the park to be everyone’s garden. Encouraging people to take ownership,
which will have the twin effects of generating good behaviour at the park and
creating a sense of social responsibility driving everyone to take care of the park as if
it where their own. Which, of course, it is. 
I will work with local partners like Sefton Council, Merseyside Police and Southport
Rotary Club – who will be planting trees at the park - to make sure every journey to
the park, every visit to the park and every journey home from the park is as safe as
possible for all.
I am a father of two and can often be seen at the park during school holidays with my
sons and their friends watching my kids and others in spur of the moment game of
football or just enjoying the sunshine. I grew up in the area where I live and was a
regular visitor to the park then as I am now.
I live locally on Everton Road. I am a Parent Governor at two local schools. I am a
Project Manager with 20 years' experience working for Merseyside Police supporting
them in the aim of making communities safer.
I hope to bring to bear all my experience, knowledge and local contacts to ensure
that Compton Park becomes an asset of community value that we can all be proud
of, while minimising the negative impacts of increased visitor numbers on the local
community like litter and increased noise levels, and making the most of the positive
effects, such as, increased safety in numbers, an enhanced sense of civic pride and
a reduction in social isolation.
My email address is jasonmccormackict@gmail.com and my telephone number
is 07849 106671. Please feel free to get in touch.”