Car park extension plans in Northumberland town hit by delay

Construction work on an extension to the Turner Street car park was due to begin early this year with completion by early summer.

However, detailed construction design work has resulted in the proposed drainage outfall having to be revised.

Further investigations are being carried out due to the need to drill through an existing sea wall to create the new outfall point.

This detailed design is nearing completion and works are set to start in May for completion in late July or early August.

Once complete, the number of parking spaces in the Turner Street car park will increase from 49 to 134.

Land next to the existing car park and the car park itself were bought by Northumberland County Council last year.

A disused bungalow on part of the site was demolished last November to pave the way for the project to begin.

Once complete the new car park will provide seven disabled parking bays and six electric vehicle bays.

Spaces for motorcycles and bikes will also be included, and an existing cycle route through the area will need to be changed slightly to take it into account.

Drainage, lighting and access to the site will also be improved.

The council has been working with a number of partners, including Amble Business Club, Amble Town Council and Amble Development Trust, to make it easier for residents and visitors to access the town centre.

Meanwhile, work resumed this week on the construction of a new car park on the Goosehill site in Morpeth which will create 128 standard parking bays, eight disabled bays and six electric vehicle charging spaces.

When excavations started, a number of issues were discovered that led to delays including the need for a redesign of the proposed drainage system and electric cables found not buried to the right depth.

With issues now resolved, site works resumed this week and will continue until August.

Paul Jones, the council's director of local services, said: “Creating more parking spaces in our town centres can be challenging and we’ve come up against some technical issues which are now being resolved at both sites, with the aim of them being ready for the peak tourism season.”