Amble Town Council — October/November 2012
Town: 8 November, 13 December
Cemeteries: 25 October (5.30pm), 15 November, 20 December
Finance: 25 October, 22 November, 20 December
Allotments: 13 October 10am (Site visit 9am -Wynd)
Service meeting
REPRESENTATIVES from NCC met with all Parish and Town Councillors to discuss the handover of more services next April. Amble already has responsibility for its cemeteries and there are many rules and regulations and paperwork involved in its administration. Some parishes will be overwhelmed by the task. NCC are arranging courses to help but they have asked those with experience to assist others. Our Clerk, has done the work for 5 years and is up to date on the regulations but she occassionally needs more advice.
The Paddling Pool Play area remains an issue. Whilst the play equipment is still of good quality, this Council is reluctant to take full responsibility due to continued vandalism to the surface. It has had to be repaired yet again – a terrible indictment when you consider it is there to prevent real harm to the youngsters who use it. Destroying it serves no purpose, it can’t be sold or reused; but repairing it is a constant drain on resources which could be much better spent. The old pools are a real eyesore and we have been trying to persuade NCC to tidy them up. We feel we may have made progress with agreement to apply a base coat of paint which can then be painted with designs/murals to make it more presentable until funding to improve the area is found. It is unlikely there will be pools there again due to the cost of refurbishment and running costs. A water feature, such as at Spittal, has been suggested but this will have large maintenance costs. The idea of a sandpit has been suggested but the correct play sand costs about £15,000 then there is daily cleaning and filtering to be considered. Concreting over is another suggestion. Have you any suggestions? Please remember even if an initial cost for a scheme was match grant funded, any money needed for operation and maintainence would have to be added to your Council Tax.
Queen Street area
COUNCILLORS met business representatives and NCC officers regarding the traffic and parking issues on Queen Street. Whilst NCC are sympathetic to the idea of changing the current arrangements, little can be done before next year as all changes have to go through a consultation process. Amble Town Council have asked for this to be one of our top priorities under the Local Transport Plan as we understand the difficulties the situation is causing for businesses and residents.
There has also been a meeting with residents who have voiced concerns about anti-social behaviour taking place on a daily basis as well as the effects created by the continuing delay over the Tesco site. Representatives of the Council, Northumbria Police, Tesco management and the Local Multi Agency Partnership are hoping to address these concerns in the near future. However if you see anyone behaving in an anti-social manner, please report it so the police can apprehend them. A few warnings and arrests will hopefully deter this behaviour.
Seats and Litter bins
WORK HAS BEGUN on refurbishing, removing or replacing NCC town seats for which we have become responsible. Some will be appearing in new positions where they would be used more, some will be removed entirely. If you regularly used a seat which has not been replaced, let us know and we will look to see if a new one in that position is warranted. There are still some which belong to other people or groups, so if there is a problem with a seat and you are not sure who owns it, please contact us and we will deal with it or pass the information to those responsible. We hope to reposition/position new litter bins after agreement with NCC as they remain responsible for emptying them. However it would be so much better for everyone and the town itself if we all took our litter home and put it into our own bins.
Radcliffe War Memorial
AMBLE HAS two war memorials. The smaller memorial was re-sited here when Radcliffe village was opencasted for coal and its residents rehoused in Amble. Both memorials are listed buildings and as such have strict rules regarding how they can be restored. The Council was successful in a matched grant bid for the work on Amble war memorial when the stonework was repointed, the panels cleaned and the missing letters replaced. Since then the clock has been upgraded. Now we are discussing the restoration of the Radcliffe memorial which we hope will be undertaken next Spring. The year 2014 will be the 100th anniversary of the start of World War One and there will be many events throughout Britain and Europe to commemorate this and remember the brave people who fought and in many cases died for our future. Should Amble hold an event? If so, what form should it take? Let us know your thoughts on the subject.
Councillor’s Corner
FOR SUCH a small town it never ceases to amaze me how many things take place in it. No matter what your age, there is something to do. To name a few: youngsters have brownies, football clubs; teens have the Roundabout (Boy’s Club), the Youth project; then there are further education and special interest classes. As you get older there are numerous other activities- History, Music, Sport, Church, Charities, Health Walks. Also the ones which help the town such as Christmas Lights, Pride in Amble, Amble Action Group. All too often I am dumbfounded when I hear people say, ‘there’s nothing to do’. Certainly you may have to look for them or hear of them by ‘word of mouth’ but there are lots more in Amble itself than I have mentioned and different ones again within a short radius of the town. Everyone can benefit from doing things outside of their own home and work. You meet new people, you stimulate your brain, you brighten your outlook, maybe even increase your exercise! Don’t let the winter gloom set in. Get out and take part in something. Better still, offer to help as all these things can only continue if volunteers come forward.
Councillor Helen Lewis
Your councillors
EAST WARD:
Robert Arckless — 37 Anne Crescent, Amble, NE65 0QZ — Tel: 01665 711938
Helen Lewis — 11 Kennedy Road, Amble, NE65 0QH— Tel: 07762069026
Craig Weir (Vice chair) — 76 Priory Park, Amble, NE65 0HY — Tel: 01665 712342
WEST WARD:
Leslie Bilboe — 10 The Close, Amble, NE65 0HZ — Tel: 01665 713364
Ian Hinson (Chair) — 11 Eastgarth Avenue, Amble, NE65 0LW — Tel: 01665 710583
Sam Palin — 40 Bisley Road, Amble, NE65 0NP — Tel: 01665 714115
CENTRAL WARD:
Rev. Velda Nicholson — 24 Glendale, Amble, NE65 0RG — Tel: 01665 713796
Kate Morrison — 3 Island View, Amble, NE65 0SE — Tel: 01665 711191
Jane Dargue — 10 Sylvia’s Close, Amble, NE65 0GB — Tel: 07795360513
