Amble Town Council: August – September 2014
WW1 Service
Litter
Traffic management
Bus shelters
Councillor’s courner
Events
BY THE TIME you read this, Amble’s Centenary Service will have taken place. Our thanks to all those individuals, businesses and organisations who helped in many different and often unseen ways.
We hope there has been a tremendous turnout to honour the brave men, who went from our small town to what would seem then to be the far flung corners of the earth, never to return to their loved ones. They endured immense hardship and deprivation so that their loved ones and descendents could live a richer life. It is gratifying that some young people have come along to help us on the day and in our research about Amble and its people in the early twentieth century.
Hopefully our service will have sparked a small flicker in the minds of others which will be kindled to a long lasting feeling of responsibility and respect for the monuments dedicated to all those who lost their lives defending our country.
Litter
That problem which never goes away!! Discussions have been held with Northumberland County Council and following a reorganisation, the sweeping schedules are to be changed. This should result in a greater amount of time spent on Amble streets.
Weekend trials are being done with a smaller mechanical sweeper which can be used on pavements, in the roadside gulleys and the bus shelters. This means fewer cigarette butts left lying…. but we wouldn’t have that unsightly problem if everyone disposed of these in the correct way! Also please do remember that, as a responsible dog owner, you can place dog faeces in any bin and not just the red dog bins.
Let’s all make an effort to keep our town a lovely place to live and work in, or to visit, by taking all our rubbish home.
After many, many months of discussion, new traffic regulations should come into force in September- the first step in the process of trying to get traffic moving into and through Amble especially at weekends, our busiest time. Some will welcome them, others will not be happy, but please give it a fair trial- it’s impossible to suit everyone.
The Park & Ride trial will have ended and a report will be produced to see if this helped to manage the traffic better. Did you or your visitors try it? Let NCC know what you thought. Talks with various organisations are being held to review these regulations and to look into providing more desperately needed parking spaces near the Town Centre. This will not happen quickly as it may involve negotiations with private land owners; however at last things are moving along.
Following donations from Members Small Schemes funds by County Councillors Watson and Arckless, Acklington Road is to have a new bus shelter on the Gloster Park side. This will then join the other shelters handed over to Amble Town Council’s responsibility from NCC.
JCSC is currently producing some unique metalwork to infill the openings at the other bus shelter here which was originally designed by students from the school. Once this work is completed, Council will begin to look at replacement costs for High Street shelter. We refused to accept this due to its very poor condition. NCC however do not intend to replace it- if it falls into further disrepair, they will remove it. We know how well used it is and therefore feel we need to give serious consideration to a replacement.
Councillor’s corner
Kate Morrison
As one of your Central ward Councillors my primary interest is around the Queen St. and harbour area where new businesses are popping up every week- Good luck to them all.
Thank you to the businesses who are working hard to make our town a more attractive place for residents and people visiting and shopping with the lovely display of hanging baskets etc. Hopefully more businesses will want to join in the scheme in the future.
When other Councillors and I were walking around Amble making a shortlist for this year’s judging of the garden awards, we were very impressed. Judging by the riot of colour, original designs, and quirkiness, the independent judge from Alnwick Gardens would have had a tough job making the final selection of winners as more people seem to have taken up gardening in the town.
It is wonderful to see so many working to make Amble even more attractive.
Please support the Events Committee stall at Amble RNLI Day. Through money given during the Puffin Festival, this stall and a street collection during the Lights Parade are ways in which money can be raised so these community events continue. Many involved in the events give their time freely, but the professionals need to be paid to put on workshops for the schools, art & crafts etc.
We all want things happening in the town but without more volunteers and some funds, we cannot continue to hold these, or improve them. Help us with this year’s Christmas Lights Parade and next year’s Puffin Festival too.
