Residents view plans for key Alnwick sites
25 Mar 2019 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
Hundreds of residents attended a drop in event in Alnwick at the weekend to find out about the latest updates and progress that has been made on a number of key sites in the town.
The event was organised by the Alnwick Forum, a partnership between Northumberland County Council and Alnwick Town Council and is a follow-up to November’s open day, where residents gave their views on a range of issues and sites around the town.
Following resident feedback about car parking issues in the town, the former Duchess’s High School on Howling Lane has been turned into a temporary long stay car park for 60 car parking spaces.
The former Lindisfarne Middle School site now incorporates the Alnwick Food Bank and Citizens Advice and progress is being made to turn it into a community hub. The playing fields are being kept for community use and a working group of sports clubs has been set up to look at the future of the Lindisfarne sports hall.
Plans were on display with design options for Narrowgate, including the possibility of pedestrianisation of this stretch of road, an option residents were strongly in favour of.
An update was also given showing the interior layout of The Playhouse which is to incorporate the library and visitor information service and is due to re-open in the Autumn.
The Forum is keen to engage with the younger members of the community and feedback was given from a recent engagement event with students from the Duchess’s Community High School to find out and what younger people would like to see.
Cllr Gordon Castle said: “ Throughout the day we had hundreds of people of all ages attend to engage, discuss and exchange ideas about the future of Alnwick in specific areas, which is really encouraging and helpful for us. What has been particularly pleasing has been the engagement by the younger residents of the town who have been very enthusiastic in telling us what they would like to see and their ideas for the future.”
Cllr Robbie Moore added:
“ The Forum is making real progress and much of this has been down to the fact that local residents have been keen to get involved and give us their feedback. Their views have been invaluable in helping to shape the future of the town and getting things done.”
Alan Symmonds Mayor of Alnwick said: “ On behalf of the Forum, I’d like thank all the residents who took the time to come along to our event in the Northumberland Hall and showed a real interest in the future of their town.”