A new car park for Amble is now all lined up, with Northumberland County Council having secured planning consent and purchased land required for its development.
 

The county council has been working with the Amble community over a number of years with the aim of securing more town centre parking – to meet the needs of visitors and local shoppers.
 

The land adjacent to the existing car park on Turner Street and the car park itself have now been purchased by the county council, following confidential commercial negotiations with the landowner.
 

And with planning permission for the development also confirmed, the main building blocks for a new facility are firmly in place.
 

The county council will develop a new car park which will combine the existing and new parking areas, increasing the number of spaces available from 49 to 134.
 

Cllr Jeff Watson, county councillor for Amble West with Warkworth, said: “This is extremely good news for Amble. I am very pleased that after all of the hard work by a number of agencies towards securing new car parking, it looks like we are on the final stretch. 
 

“This site will be ideal, close to the town centre and the quayside, and the popular visitor attractions there. I will continue to work through the county council, town council and our partners to bring this project to fruition.”
 

Cllr Glen Sanderson, council leader and cabinet member responsible for local services and the environment at Northumberland County Council added: “These are major milestones in providing the community of Amble with important new town centre parking.
 

“We have been working on this for a number of years now – looking at different sites and options - and I am extremely pleased that we have now reached this stage.
 

 “We will now start to progress the arrangements for site clearance and firm up the schedule and timescales for construction of the new car park.”
 

The council has been working with a number of partners in the town to develop plans for car parking, including Amble Business Club, Amble Town Council and Amble Development Trust.
 

Cllr Terry Clark, county councillor for the Amble ward added:  "Amble is a town that has struggled over the years with parking issues, so this increase in parking provision is a welcome addition.
 

“It will benefit residents, provide workplace parking, and help provide space for visitors, especially during the peak holiday season, with tourism benefiting our local economy.
 

“A new car park in the centre of town will give easy access to shops and cafes on Queen street and towards our Harbour village and Pier, hopefully reducing congestion within our residential streets.
 

“I look forward to seeing this proposal improve Amble’s future parking needs and help take the strain. A truly welcoming addition for the town.”
 

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.
 

Before the car parking can be established work will have to be done to prepare the site, which previously housed a service garage and forecourt until the mid-2000s, and the planning permission includes the demolition of an old bungalow on the site.