Surf spectacular
National championship at Druridge Bay

A Dog's life
We have the best dog beaches - it's official!

Affordable housing
Dreaming of your own house?

Deer Ambler
Spring surprise

Everybody's talking
Community forum promotes our interests

Hedging bets
Doing what comes naturally

Saving wildlife
Making a river change its mind

RNLI station shop
Spend money and save lives

Amble slimmers
Get thin and save lives

Editorial
Supermarket snags and what's in this "life saving" issue.

Have your say
Letters and email, including photos

Improving Queen Street
Grants can give you an uplift

National 'Elf
Dress up as an elf and save lives

Veggie basket scheme
Disadvantaged people help community

Neighbourhood watch
Keeping an eye on your neighbours

Coquet High School Partnership
Expected drop in pupil numbers

Women's house building project
The house that Jill built

Artograffi
Easter fun

David's Diary
News from Amble Development Trust

Town council report
News update from the Town Council

Confessions of an addict
Harry gives up the weed

Age Concern Northumberland
...need people who are concerned

Chinese freeze affects Welfare
Snow stops take-away

Child Trust Fund
Invest in your child's future

Penny
New year Resolutions

Amble Churches Together
Thoughts for New Year

County Councillors report
Future developments

A tale of two thefts
You have been warned

The Peer Mentors
Students help each other

Residents get the hump over bumps
Calming the traffic?

Dirty wellies in a wine bar
Rural romance

Small skinny latte
Toddlers make their own coffee shop

Poetry corner
Safe to shore

Paddlers Paradise
New look play area

Snippets...
Local food, recycling, school numbers, welfare update

What's On
Including live music, Easter services, volunteering at Warkworth Castle and more.

Greetings from Aglaia
Message from a tall ship

Ray King column
Kevin Keegan takes over. "We all eagerly await"

Town Council Report

Spring - that time of year when things look brighter and new growth is abundant. What a pity less than two weeks into January someone decided one of the trees donated by the Co-operative Funeral Services and planted in Lawson Street didn’t deserve to grow and delight us all. However we will continue to brighten our environment for the greater majority who are very appreciative judging by the favourable comments we have received.

We are also trying to help the environment by asking everyone to use fewer carrier bags and encouraging shops to stock ‘bags for life’. It takes 100 years for a carrier to degrade, so please use ‘bags for life’, biodegradable ones or, at the very least, re-use the ones you have.

New Year started with a new addition- Leslie Bilboe became a co-opted Member for Amble West Ward - his details are in the Council Newsletter or available from the Clerk.

The District Wide Local Development Framework, a policy which helps determine how areas in the District develop in the future, covers many aspects including the infrastructure - roads, sewerage, transport links etc. - to ensure these are integrated to cope with such things as new housing, industry and commercial premises.

Officials from many departments of Alnwick District Council and other agencies take a long time with lots of input from various people, including residents, to complete this vital document. Work on the Amble section is starting now, so when the chance comes, take the time to make your views known on how you see the town developing. Although it’s never possible to please everyone. You live here; it’s your town; we need to know what you want or don’t want as the case may be.

These policies and other guidelines are used in determining planning applications. The recent enquiry outcome on the Boatyard site and the awaited one on the south entrance have caused concern within the Town Council. Agreeing or disagreeing is not the issue: despite the laudable inclusion of affordable housing and on the boatyard site, the public car parking, these homes will also have a greater impact on the infrastructure than that which was planned.

It is inevitable that Amble in its delightful position within such a beautiful county will continue to expand but we need to be sure everything is planned or in place to cope with this. We need good roads, drains, public transport; extra school, health, recreation and retail facilities for ourselves and all the new people these developments will bring.

As you read this, the West Cemetery Memorial Audit, which we began last year, will be continuing; we need to try to ensure headstones etc. are safe and therefore plan to test all of them within 5 years. Unfortunately not everyone updates us with their details so we cannot individually inform them if there is a problem. Cemetery staff or the Clerk are available to answer any queries you may have.

April 19th - Mark it on your calendar. Two projects are to be launched - the Town Trail and ‘Simply Horticulture’, the Disabled Allotment. We were fortunate that funders saw these as worthwhile projects in which to invest. Leaflets and Boards for the Town Trail are currently with the designers; Links First School is working on a Discovery Quiz and Middle School pupils will have the chance to take part in a play scheme the week before. ‘Simply Horticulture’ with its smaller areas and raised beds will mean many with disabilities will be able to continue growing their own vegetables or experiencing this for the first time; helpers will be needed to assist.
Look out for posters with further details of both events as we want to involve the whole community. See you on April 19th.

Helen Lewis, Chairman