Amble Town Council report #136
MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE sent on behalf of the town.
It is with immense sadness that the Council and people of Amble received the news of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
She served Her people with great diligence for 70 years and will be remembered by all for her great compassion for people of all ages and from all walks of life.
Her unwavering sacrifice, dedication, sense of duty and devotion to her country will live on long into the future.
We join with all the people of our town and the nation in offering our deepest condolences to the Royal Family.
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
Arrangements are currently being started for the Remembrance Sunday service in the town. While wreaths and tributes had been laid during the years of the pandemic, it was not permissible to hold the usual full town service until last year. This year it will take place on Sunday 13th November commencing just before 11a.m. All are welcome and while face coverings are no longer mandatory, please feel free to wear them if you wish. The Poppy Appeal organiser has changed:if you would like to help collect please contact Marion Long: marionlong68@gmail.com. or if your organisation wishes to order a wreath please telephone 0345 8451945
ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Recently there have been several incidents of anti-social behaviour in our town. These have been wide ranging from abusive shouting to actual harassment and assault. This is very upsetting to those targeted as well as to the people witnessing the incidents. Although Amble is fortunate not to experience the extremely violent incidents and murders seen in other large towns and cities, most residents abhor this behaviour and agree it is important that they are quickly dealt with and the perpetrators admonished to discourage repetition. Whilst police manning hours here have been reduced from past years, we can all help by reporting these problems and giving as much information as possible. The more individual reporting (no matter how small an incident) the more likely we are to get a higher police presence here.
CEMETERIES
The damaged tarmac at the entrance has been repaired and the area by it will be reseeded to blend in. A new seat has also been installed along the cemetery drive. The majority of seats here are made with metal ends but from recycled materials so maintenance is low. The area around the turning circle will be replanted as the lavender there is now poor. Section M has been checked over recently and work will soon begin on filling any areas where the ground has settled too far.
Whilst doing this it was noted that some plots have plants/flowers etc. placed down the length of the plot. It is not a pleasant task asking families to remove these as some families do maintain these well but unfortunately this is not always the case, so the regulations state that all tributes/planting should be near the memorial in an area of about 18 inches in total. This will also help with the grass maintenance work. Once the East Cemetery gates with the renewed turning mechanism are in place, they will be repainted.
MEMORIAL CLOCK
These historic clocks were individually crafted and therefore any repair takes a considerable time as each replacement part must be individually made. Unfortunately when the engineer came to repair it in August, it was discovered that another part was needed, hence a longer delay. However it should be working by the time you read this. In the meantime, council was asked to consider turning off the chimes overnight but decided not to do so as the cost of making and fitting this limiter would be over £2,000.
PARKING
Although not completely finished, Turner Street Car Park was opened early to help with the influx of vehicles over the summer. Signage seemed confusing as the old ‘Free’ signs were still in place but new charging signs had been erected. The charges will have come into effect by the time you receive this edition of the Ambler. It is hoped that these spaces will help to ease the congestion in the town streets.
While it can be very annoying to have to park away from your home if you live on a street with no individual drive, it is important to remember these are public highways where anyone can park and it is an offence to place anything in the road to ‘reserve’ a space. If enough home owners in a street are agreeable then a request can be made to NCC for residents’ parking permits. New road markings will be placed on part of Leazes Street between the Harbour Village and the car park; these will prohibit any parking, including blue badge holders, as it was becoming increasingly difficult for emergency vehicles to get past.
VACANCY
There are two vacancies for Council members – if you are interested in helping your community in this interesting role, please contact the Clerk for details.
COUNCILLORS CORNER
[Views expressed are those of the individual and not necessarily those of the council]
Ask not what your town can do for you but what you can do for your town. As we come out of some years of a pandemic and into yet another crisis, could you stop for a few minutes in your busy lives and ask, how might I help my community? Amble has many community groups, all requiring volunteers willing to give a few hours a day or a few days a week. These volunteers bring their expertise and enthusiasm to help people or to sit on a committee, or trustee board in the local community. There are too many causes for me to mention them here but the town clerk has a list. If you have a skill or just an interest and want to find out more, speak to any of our town councillors who themselves are all volunteers.
Cllr Kate Morrison
TOWN COUNCIL OFFICES, FOURWAYS 2, AMBLE. NE65 0DT Tel: 01665 714 695 www.amble.gov.uk
