Trust Life#159
Hello everyone, welcome back to Trust Life.
Well after the disappointment of the Sports Hall last month we now have the disappointment of the Town of Culture bid. We, along with all the other applicants from Northumberland didn’t even make the long list. Surely one of the many amongst us had a good story to share, or perhaps we just aren’t good at blowing our own trumpets!
We await feedback from the process and if there is anything to be learnt it can be a lesson we take forward hoping there will be a next time.
So onto something more positive: the Town Forum group held its first meeting in June with a catch-up online early July. Attendees agreed Terms of Reference and who would be responsible for each of the tender briefs.
It was agreed we (as in the Trust) would write the brief for Amble Community Sport, Leisure and Culture Feasibility Study and NCC would write the one for the Public Realm and Wayfinding Study. This will include works to finally bring about the reopening of Coble Quay walkway following these steps:
• Scheme Design has been commissioned.
• Heads of Terms are finalised.
The forum will be updated when a likely programme and delivery timescales are available.
On July 15 we held our 32nd AGM, with guest speaker Julia Chambers giving attendees an insight into the process CRAG have worked through to achieve Bathing Water status for the Little Shore.
Following feedback (or in some instances lack of ) from landowners the Neighbourhood Plan has had to be modified to take out some areas that had been included as Employment Land. As the plan won’t be ‘made’ for some months and the group has been informed that planning applications for housing were to be submitted imminently. This was what we had been hoping to avoid.
There was also work carried out to identify wildlife corridors, however as the definition is vague, the group felt that a generous amount of land would be protected within areas on the plan that would meet the examiners’ agreement.
The steering group felt it was better to protect what we have as soon as possible, before the new planning objectives are brought in by the government, which will see a leap in numbers forced on to local authorities to meet housing targets.
Hopefully this will also meet with the community’s approval.
Our job search facilities are now open from 9am – 5pm each week day.
If you would like to contact the Ambler or require a CV you can do so by ringing: 01665 712929 or emailing editor@theambler.co.uk or Julie@ambledevelopmenttrust.org.uk
Julia, all Trust staff and Trustees wish you a happy sunny summer.
