Plans submitted for ‘seafood town’ development
Proposed site of new Quayside plans
A new proposal to bring investment into the Friendliest Port has just been announced. A planning application to regenerate part of the Quayside has been submitted to Northumberland County Council, which will include a seafood centre and incubator units for small business startups.
Originating from two strategic reports from last year; Amble Development Trust’s regeneration document ‘Amble 2020’, and ‘Amble: The Seafood Town’ of May 2013 by Team Tourism Consulting, the plans have been developed in consultation with local landowners and leaseholders. The Ambler understands that the main objectives of the plans are to create opportunities for Amble’s fishing industry and startup businesses.
There will be an opportunity for the public to review and discuss the plans with members of the development team on Friday 27 September between 9am – 4.30pm at Amble Development Trust’s offices, Fourways2, Dilston Terrace, Amble.
The proposed Quayside project has been developed by Northumberland County Council in close partnership with Amble Development Trust and in consultation with Warkworth Harbour Commission, Amble Boat Company and Coquet Shorebase Trust.
The planning application comprises proposals for several different pieces of work which together represent a cohesive development proposal in response to the report ‘Amble: The Seafood Town’ of May 2013 by Team Tourism Consulting.
That report followed extensive consultation and close partnership working with Amble Development Trust, and addressed opportunities for economic development and associated employment generation through co-ordinated initiatives in the sectors of tourism and hospitality, the fishing industry and aquaculture, as identified within “Amble 2020”, the latest regeneration strategy for the town, written by John Shutt and Julia Aston.
Overhead plan of quayside development
Julia Aston, Director of Amble Development Trust said: “The Development Trust has worked closely with Northumberland County Council and submitted an expression of Interest to the Coastal Communities Fund and the European Fisheries Fund. We are unlikely to hear whether we have been successful until January. We have formed positive working relationships with County Council officers to develop this concept.”
The report identified the potential to create a unique selling point for Amble as ‘The Seafood Town’, the authentic place to go to sample fresh, locally caught sea-food, based on its nature as a working port, taking advantage of the nation-wide and Europe-wide tourism trend in favour of authenticity and local foods. The report’s main recommendations support this single, simple concept, from facilitation of access to the harbourside to training of restaurant staff and support given to start-up businesses.
Councillor Scott Dickinson, Business Chair of Northumberland County Council said: “The Council is working with Amble Development Trust, James Calvert Spence College and other partners to explore how Amble can develop a more sustainable future and stronger economy. Discussions and research have taken place over the last six months to identify how this might happen. On this basis, we have chosen seafood related tourism as the way forward as we believe it offers some real opportunities for the town. We are now working with the wider Amble 2020 partnership to secure the necessary external funding and planning permission to progress this work. Major funding bids are being submitted to try and achieve this and we hope they will be successful, as we want the people and businesses of Amble to benefit as much as possible from the jobs, training and trading opportunities which could arise out of this project.”
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