Derelict building to be transformed
- The old Co-op department store on Queen Street will be divided into three retail units
Funding for internal work to develop a derelict Queen Street building has now been secured, at the same time guaranteeing work for a local building firm.
Amble Development Trust has been granted £93,767 for interior restructuring work on the old Co-op department store. The money will be spent on dividing the existing ground floor space into three separate retail units, and Amble’s DP Builders have won the building contract.
Julia Aston Director of Amble Development Trust said “It’s good to see all the Trust’s hard work has come to fruition. Hopefully it will have a positive impact in Queen Street, rather than the half-shuttered building which was there before. I’d like to thank the funders and everyone who worked so hard in bringing this together. I’d also like to thank the local residents and businesses on Queen Street for their patience and consideration.”
The money has been granted by the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), DEFRA and One NorthEast and funding was facilitated by Northumberland County Council.
The designers are Jane Darbyshire David Kendall from Newcastle and the interior refurbishment work will be carried out by Amble firm DP Builders. Work will begin immediately.
A grant to improve the exterior of the building was awarded last year, with money awarded from English Heritage and Northumberland County Council’s CAPS scheme. Work began on the shopfront in January.
For more information on the retail units, please contact Julia Aston at Amble Development Trust; 01665 712929 julia@ambledevelopmenttrust.org.uk
As positive as this news is, I can’t but feel this is a little out of place with the general movement of retail businesses away from Queen St, both due to the economic times (i.e. the shop I work above) and the impending construction of the new Tesco. There are currently 3 empty shops on the street as it stands.
Great news for the town, and well done to all who have worked so hard to achieve this! I totally disagree with the comment above. IF the new Tesco store does get built it’s unlikely to happen for quite some while. Tesco have a habit of sitting on a site for as long as it suits them – years in some cases – if nothing else to stop the competition coming in, or to await the right economic climate in which to open. It’s good to see another example of Queen Street being brought back to life.
I also think its a great idea…
There is nothing as depressing as walking along a street which has boarded up store fronts..
It will be interesting to see which type of retail will be placed there, but Queen street needs to be kept alive, not only for we locals but also for the tourists….
I stand corrected. In fact, I may be interested in a unit. Humble Pie ate.
Another very positive step for future development and another vindication of giving the heart of the Amble “Conservation Area” status, noting the financial support from both English Heritage and the NCC CAPS scheme.