The North West Association of Civic Trust Societies (nw.acts) is about to issue a colourful booklet publicising the region's Conservation Areas and explaining what designation as a Conservation Area actually means. We are delighted to report that - out of the 800+ Conservation Areas which exist in the North West of England, it was Gateacre Village which was selected to appear on the front cover!

Along with over 20 other civic societies, we were represented at a meeting in Preston on 6th May, when the draft booklet was launched. Various speakers emphasised the importance of carrying out Conservation Area Character Appraisals - identifying the key features (both positive and negative) of each area - to provide an effective basis for development control by the local planning authority. One of these speakers was Steve Corbett of Liverpool City Council, who agreed to revive the discussions we had in 2007 with a view to producing a character appraisal and advisory leaflet for Gateacre Village.