Welcome
About Amble Development Trust
Physical Regeneration Projects
Community Development Projects
Fourways2
Fourways Foods
The Ambler
The Fourways Building
Contact Us
Related Links
|
Amble Development Trust:
Physical Regeneration Projects
Queen St · Pier and Breakwater · The Fourways · Fourways2 · Town Square · Welfare · Paddlers
Amble Development Trust place high emphasis on asset generation and see our physical regeneration projects as a great opportunity to further this end. Building our asset portfolio to increase the sustainability and long term viability of the Trust.
The last 15 years have seen the Trust undertake a number of significant physical regeneration projects in the town which have had a considerable impact across the whole landscape of Amble.
Traditional Shopping
 |
Queen Street is Amble's main shopping street and it is also the town's main thoroughfare. In common with many other parts of the town it has a very pleasant traditional character.
Amble Development Trust completed a very successful project to develop Queen Street whilst keeping the traditional nature of the shops and shopping available in the street. |
 |
Changes were made to restore Queen Street's appearance and to improve usability of the street. Parking bays have been allocated with distinct cobbled areas and street furniture has been provided.
The street furniture has recently been replaced in blue and silver. |
Pier and Breakwater
The Wind & The Waves!!
 |
One of Amble's star attractions is the harbour's South Pier and promenade.
The pier has benefited from costly refurbishment work completed early in 2000 and funded by English Partnerships. The pier and promenade now provide a safe and scenic walkway with new decking, guard rails, seats and stylish lighting columns. |
The coal trade was the main business of the port until 1969, but now Amble is one of few working fishing ports on the Northumberland coast. Fishing, the sea and the harbour continue to play an important part in the life of the town.
 |
Amble has its own RNLI Mersey class lifeboat, 'The Four Boys'. The lifeboat berth costing £350,000 was installed at Radcliffe Quay in 2001.
Warkworth Harbour Commission invested £800,000 in the harbour and pier revitalisation and estuary dredging. Broomhill and Radcliffe Quays were reinstated. * |
*Please note that since the floods of September 2008, some areas of the Harbour are not currently accessible to the public
The Fourways
 |
The Fourways was formerly the Station Hotel, a well known Vaux drinking establishment in the town.
Exhibiting superb visionary skills Amble Development Trust purchased the derelict property for £1 from the brewery. The building has now been transformed into a different type of focal point for the community.
The Fourways now houses a number of our tenants and formerly the Development Trust. |
Fourways2
In January 2008 The Development Trust moved into their new home across the road from the old Fourways building. Set over three levels the new Fourways 2 is an award -winning modern spacious office environment with cutting edge facilities.
 |
Fourways 2 is set on the grounds of the former Norseman building (pictures below) an old dance hall in Amble that had become run down and unused. The Fourways 2 project offered the chance to regenerate a gateway building in the town and offer a much needed service hub.
The Facilities that the building offers include a large adaptable conference room with High Definition facilities, high speed wireless internet access and a modern crisp feel and a smaller meeting room capable of delivering quality electronic content. |
In December 2008 Fourways2 won The Journal's Judges' Gem Landmark award, for demonstrating excellence in building.
The Town Square
 |
Completed in May 2001 and transforming a previously run-down area of derelict buildings, the Town Square now provides a major focal point in the town for residents and visitors alike. Features include:- |
 |
Five of the six trees are dedicated to the schools in the town, the sixth tree has been designated 'The Town Tree'.
A feature garden remembers Muriel Usher, one of the town's characters and two bench seats are dedicated to the memory of Dr and Mrs Robertson and Jesse Taylor. |
The experts in bringing together this project included artist Bridget Jones, stonemason David Edwick, architects Jane Darbyshire and David Kendall Ltd plus local construction company D P Builders.
The Welfare
The Development Trust has taken responsibility for the Amble Welfare from the now defunct Alnwick District Council and have begun to address many years of under investment.
It is the case that funding for such projects is difficult to obtain and is not always available in a logical development sequence. Therefore when the first funding became accessible it was to provide play equipment for children up to 12 years old and to construct two MUGAs (Multiple Use Games Areas) for older users.
Funding for the refurbishment has been provided by the Big Lottery Children's Play Fund and Alnwick Distrtict Council
The site itself requires a modern and safer access for pedestrians and vehicular traffic and funding is now available to deliver this.
|
|
 |
| Above: the Welfare as it used to look, with few facilities for youngsters. What equipment there was had fallen into disrepair. |
| Below: the Welfare Opening and new play equipment for the young people of Amble. |
The next stage:
High on the agenda is a skateboard park which has been pursued by a dedicated group of young people who have helped obtained a substantial part of the necessary funding. The remainder of the funding has been applied for and the outcome is awaited.
Future plans include a quiet garden area, an improved football pitch and a "rough" play area.
The Paddlers
New play equipment was installed at the Paddlers site in 2005. Costing £37,000, the equipment was chosen by youngsters from Edwin St., Amble Links and St Cuthbert’s First Schools and Amble Middle School.
An exhibition was put up at their schools so they could look at pictures of the different types of play equipment and the youngsters were asked to vote for the scheme they liked best. Alnwick District Council contributed £25,000 to the revamping of the play area, Amble Development Trust raised £10,000 for the scheme and the Town Council
donated £2,000.
 |
In 2008, a further £25,000 was raised via the Big Lottery, to improve the surfacing of the playground at the Paddlers. The new surface incorporated bright colours and games. |
|