Amble Town Council round-up: Drugs, new memorial and link road

Coun Tracey Hinton said: “The new neighbourhood police officer has highlighted a drug problem in Amble with the young people.

“She’s not going to go softly-softly – she’s going to come in a bit heavy-handed. She is also keen to come and take part in Amble Youth Project sessions.”

The youth project has started a new Friday night sports club at James Calvert Spence College (JCSC) – Acklington Road. The free sessions (6.30pm to 7.30pm) are for eight-to-12-year-olds.

The town council has agreed to support the youth project’s initiative to help improve safety for children in the dark nights. The council will spend up to £600 on purchasing high-visibility gear, including vests and armbands.

Drop-in sessions to pick up the items – available for eight-to-12-year-olds – will be held at the youth project (February 14, 2pm to 5pm) and at JCSC – Acklington Road (February 16, 6pm to 7.30pm).

A fund-raising go-karting event for the youth project is taking place in Newcastle on Saturday. Visit the Amble Youth Project Appeals Facebook page for details.

Councillors have said that they would like to see the whole of Amble designated in the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The meeting heard that it could be a costly affair to re-draw the boundary to include the town, but members were keen to find out the criteria and expressed their wish for Amble to be included at some point in the future.

○ Attempts to create a link road in Amble are progressing nicely, Coun Jeff Watson said.

Cheviot Holdings and Hindmarsh Homes have agreed to provide a relief road across their two sites, from the A1068 to Acklington Road.

Updating the situation, Coun Watson said: “Both developers are on board, so it is now a question of design, planning and looking at the position of the roundabout on the A1068 and how we can join into that.”

○ Weed killer is going to be used twice a year along the Rotary Way footpath, Coun Watson said.

○ Ideas for a new memorial in the town’s Memorial Gardens to honour fallen heroes are to be discussed with renowned blacksmith Stephen Lunn. Members feel it would be nicer for the design to reflect peace, rather than conflict.

○ Coun Martin Horn said that the site notice for an application to build a new home at Gloster Hill is in the wrong place, abut 200 yards away from the proposed site.

○ The town council has set its 2018/19 precept at £187,530, which represents a three per cent rise.