Retail park plans go on show
Plans for a new Retail Park development in Amble, including Morrison’s groundbreaking “Neighbourhood Food Store” a first for the North East, will go on display next week.
The public will get the opportunity to comment on the new retail development proposed on the site of the former Northumberland Foods Factory on Amble’s industrial estate.
The plans will go on display on Tuesday 24th July, from 14:00pm – 19:00pm at Amble Development Trust, Fourways2, 6 Dilston Terrace, Amble, NE65 0DT.
Artist impression of the new supermarket and retail units on Amble’s Industrial Estate
In a joint development between Arch and supermarket Morrisons, the scheme will comprise of a 25,000 sq ft Morrisons food store, alongside a number of other national retailers, a petrol filling station and a Drive Thru facility.
In a statement announcing the edge of town retail development plans, Arch said:
“Located on the famous Northumberland ‘Coastal Route’, this development will transform the southern gateway into Amble and provide a destination of choice. It will bring jobs to the local area and ensure Amble has the shopping experience it deserves. We are also keen to ensure there are retail units available for local traders and opportunities to sell local produce.
“With over £10m of funds already invested in the town, Amble represents a high priority for Arch. We continue to promote tourism and leisure through ownership of Amble Links Caravan Park, in addition, we are well advanced in the development of The Amble Inn which is due to complete later this year.”
The development has scope to benefit Amble by:
- Improving and diversifying the range of retail and local amenity available to local residents
- Regenerating a prominent, derelict site
- Reducing the need for local people to travel elsewhere to do their shopping
- Significantly boosting the local economy, creating new jobs, as well as jobs in construction
- Completing the development of a key site as part of the broader regeneration of Amble by Arch.
As well as the 25,000 sqft supermarket, there will be an additional c.35,000 sqft of other retail, split across units ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 sqft. The development will also include improved vehicle access into the site, and improved connectivity to the surrounding housing for both pedestrian and cyclists and car parking.
Chair of Arch Cllr Richard Wearmouth said: “Working together with Morrison’s has been extremely rewarding, our joint plans will contribute a great deal to the regeneration of the Enterprise Park. This includes attracting private investment into Northumberland, creating new opportunities and jobs for local people while boosting the economy of Amble and surrounding towns. I look forward to seeing what local people make of the proposed plans and constructive feedback is always welcome.”
Subject to the consultation, the planning application submission is targeted for late summer and subject to approval work is anticipated to commence early 2019 with a store opening later that year.
About time, it’s only 30 years overdue
Great looking forward to it.
Brilliant I for 1 can’t wait
Fantastic news looking forward to being able to shop where I live and not have to travel , I think this will give Amble another boost to improvements already being made .
Local jobs for local folk can only be a good thing for Amble. It will bring more shoppers into town from surrounding areas. Amble has always lived in the shadow of Alnwick under Alnwick District Council days.
Can’t wait love amble and the poeple it’s great to have a big shopping area get everything in one shop
Good in some respects but hope it doesn’t destroy the High Street and damage the restaurants and coffee shops which it undoubtedly will.
About time and long overdue,
Desperately needed a supermarket where we will be able to buy not so expensive food at long last,now I won’t need to go to Alnwick or Ashington for a shop.
Don’t underestimate the life span of the local shops,people will still need them.
great news, long overdue.
Amble needs a full supermarket along with its current convenience stores. It’s getting bigger and it should be much greener as far as travelling to other towns to caarry out ones main shopping. As Amble is now becomming more of a tourist destinatiion it puzzles me why the majority of shops and pods are closed by 5.00pm. Ther is nothing to see and nowhere to go between then and when the restaurants open at 7.00pm. Most resorts I have been to keep open until much later.
I have to agree with Colin Stanforth, tourism doesn’t finish at 5.00pm when the majority of the harbour village pods are closed for the day,people are still walking about expecting to find something to round their day off,
Amble needs to move with the times, it needs proper leisure facilities,especially when more housing and a hotel is being built
It’s about time Amble had a supermarket
Lovely to see this site being developed with all the extra housing being built perhaps a Greggs bakers would be nice as well
At last. Not before time.
We have lived 2 mile from Amble for 111:2 Years and when We bought Our Hone We were conned in to believing the area was going to get developed. Shops,, golf course etc etc and House prices would rocket. Complete opposite. House prices have plummeted and no developments in over a decade. Still waiting.
We moved to Amble in 2006 and stayed for 11 years. In all that time there were constant promises of a new supermarket but nothing materialised. Amble needs this and I’m so happy for the townspeople as they are the nicest group of people we had the pleasure to live amongst. We sold our house for the same price 11 years later, but I’ll treasure the time we lived there and so should you. I had to move back to Harrogate, closer to my family due to cancer, which is now thankfully in remission, but given different circumstances I’d move back tomorrow . It’s not always about money, but about the quality of your life and I’m sure Amble will give you that, so enjoy! 👍🏿😊