Tag: council

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Project launched to increase tree population on Town Moor Land

North East Community Forest team, along with the Sheriff and Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Veronica Dunn and other representatives from Newcastle City Council and the Freemen of Newcastle launched the latest tree planting programme on the Town Moor.

The following news release was issued by Newcastle City Council:

“National Tree Week celebrates the wonderful world of trees and encourages more people in the area to get planting trees.

Queen’s Green Canopy

This ambitious project, which pays homage to the Queen’s Green Canopy: Plant a Tree for the Jubilee, will increase the tree population on Town Moor land by a total of 411 trees and 2,875 hedgerow plants, over 10 Town Moors by the end of the 2023 planting season (31 March 2023). It is planned to undertake many more tree planting projects on the Town Moors between the Freemen, Newcastle City Council, and the North East Community Forest Team in the near future.

Improving green spaces

Cllr Jane Byrne, Newcastle City Council’s Connect City Cabinet Member, said:

“The work of The North East Community Forest is key to creating more sustainable communities for the people of Newcastle and beyond.

“It is great that we are able to partner with the Freemen on this project which will have a positive impact on people’s health and wellbeing, create new habitats for wildlife, and help to improve air quality.”

David Wilson, Chair of the Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne said:

“I am delighted to be partnering with the North East Community Forest to grow Newcastle’s urban forest on our latest planting project. Improving the city’s green spaces is a key priority for the Freeman and is vital for the health and wellbeing of the people who use them both now and into the future.” 

Lloyd Jones, Forest Manager, North East Community Forest said:

“It brings me significant pleasure and excitement to be partnering with Newcastle City Council and the Freemen of Newcastle upon Tyne on this scheme. The project provides an opportunity to plant trees and hedgerows where most people live, work and travel, and will therefore bring a suite of co-benefits to our communities and urban wildlife”

Trees greatly benefit the people living around them by having a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing, reducing stress and encouraging outdoor exercise. This is in addition to the benefits they will receive from an improved environmental quality and improved amenity which comes with planted areas

Funding for the project is being provided via the North East Community Forest Trees for Climate grant with in-kind contributions provided by the Freemen. The tree planting across the 7 Town Moor sites this season will be a mix of urban greenspace planting, wood pasture, and fruit trees and all trees planted will be recognised as part of The Queens Green Canopy.

Find out more: North East Community Forest | Newcastle City Council

The above news story was issued by Newcastle City Council and is available to read on the Newcastle City Council website. It has been included here for information and does not necessarily represent the views of High West Jesmond Residents’ Association. 

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Moorfield – council developing plans designed to improve the neighbourhood

Newcastle City Council has announced that it is developing plans designed to improve neighbourhoods across the city.

Council leaflet

A leaflet from Newcastle City Council has been posted through letterboxes in High West Jesmond.

The city council leaflet says:

“We will update you soon on proposals for your area to reduce traffic levels and make local streets safer.  This could include introducing new crossings, trialling the closure of through routes to vehicles by using large planters or bollards to restrict access at certain places, tightening junctions to reduce traffic speeds and introducing School Streets that mean people can’t park outside schools at pick up or drop off times.

We believe that making these changes will help create safer, clearner and greener neighbourhoods.  We’re asking residents to get in touch with us to tell us about any issues you would like us to consider using the contact details below.  Please tell us by 20 February 2022 to help us tackle the issues that matter to you.

Go to newcastle.gov.uk/neighbourhoods for more information

Email neighbourhoods@newcastle.gov.uk

Or call 0191 278 2767.

Transport Team, Newcastle City Council.”

Neighbourhood page on council website

The following news release was also issued by Newcastle City Council:

Making changes in the city to create safer, cleaner and greener neighbourhoods 

We are developing plans to improve neighbourhoods across the city, aimed at reducing traffic on local streets. With less vehicles cutting or speeding through streets the area will be more attractive and safer for people who live there and for children to play. These types of changes also encourage more people to walk and cycle on short local journeys, which is good for everybody.

We recently set out proposals for parts of the city including Arthur’s Hill, Fenham and Heaton and we intend to roll this programme out to more areas (see information below). To help us develop proposals, we are asking residents to tell us about any issues or concerns we need to consider.

Moorfield, Five Admirals and West Jesmond

We will update you soon on proposals for your area to reduce traffic levels and make local streets safer. Please email us at neighbourhoods@newcastle.gov.uk or call 0191 278 2767 to tell us about further issues we need to consider. Please tell us by 20 February to help us tackle the issues that matter to you.

Some of the issues that have previously been raised include:

Moorfield

  • Speeding and traffic levels on Moorfield and neighbouring streets;
  • Vehicles cutting through to and from Station Road on to Jesmond Dene Road and Ilford Road; and
  • Vehicles also using the access onto the Great North Road as a means to avoid queuing on Jesmond Dene Road at the roundabout at the Great North Road.

Five Admirals

  • School related congestion at drop off and pick up times in the vicinity of South Gosforth First School;
  • Speeding and traffic levels on streets around Beatty Avenue, Sturdee Gardens and Keyes Gardens and the residential streets that connect them; and
  • Vehicles cutting through Beatty Avenue and surrounding streets to and from Matthew Bank/Jesmond Dene Road to avoid queuing traffic.

West Jesmond

  • School related congestion at drop off and pick up times in the vicinity of West Jesmond Primary and other schools in the area;
  • Speeding and traffic levels on residential streets West of Osborne Road;
  • Commuter parking in existing permit parking areas; and
  • Speeding and traffic levels on Clayton Road and neighbouring residential streets.

 

The above consultation was issued by Newcastle City Council and is available to read on the Newcastle City Council website. It has been included here for information and does not necessarily represent the views of High West Jesmond Residents’ Association. 

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Council confirms traffic restrictions on five bridges to be made permanent

Decisions to permanently close five local bridges to traffic are confirmed by Newcastle City Council

The following news release was issued by Newcastle City Council:

Vehicles have been restricted from using Salters Bridge in Gosforth, Castle Farm Road next to Jesmond Dene, Haldane Bridge in South Jesmond, Argyle Street bridge in Ouseburn, and Stoneyhurst Road Bridge in South Gosforth for just under 18 months, to re-allocate the road space for walking and cycling as part of the council’s response to the pandemic and in line with government’s expectations of councils and local policies to promote active travel.

Cllr Ged Bell, cabinet member for development, neighbourhoods, and transport said:

“We’re committed to creating safer, cleaner and greener neighbourhoods and the closure of these bridges to traffic is a part of achieving this.

“We recognise that public opinion has been split on this, as it often is with measures that prioritise or provide more space for active travel. The closure of some bridges to traffic have been more warmly welcomed than others, but we believe it is the right thing to do to create better neighbourhoods which put people first.”

Cllr Clare Penny-Evans, cabinet member for climate change and public safety said,

“The principle of this programme is really simple and is something we want to roll out across the city. Neighbourhoods should be places people can access by vehicle if they need to, but being able to cut through local streets means people do that, and it makes our neighbourhoods more dangerous. 

“Salters Bridge is a perfect example of this, where we saw many large HGVs navigate over a weak medieval structure, which we had to repeatedly issue warnings on. The closure of this bridge has stopped those vehicles thundering through quiet streets, making the area safer for everyone, particularly for children who can have a sense of playing in their local streets just as many older residents did, before streets were taken over by vehicles.”

Cllr John-Paul Stephenson said,

“We’ve seen the report on air pollution around schools and the dreadful health impact poor air quality can have on children. It is initiatives such as these that will encourage more people out of their cars to walk and cycle on local journeys and improve everyone’s health.”

Cllr Bell added,

“We’ve taken the time to thoroughly review the impact of the closures on local communities and I am satisfied that keeping the bridges closed to traffic supports our policies on transport, tackling air pollution and improving public health, as well as meeting our statutory duties.

“We will press on with our plans to expand more of these initiatives across the city and introducing School Streets following successful trials. Thousands of people will have received leaflets recently in areas across the city inviting them to raise issues in their local areas so we can include them in our thinking.  These types of schemes are important as they ensure local streets are designed for people, and not dominated by vehicles, cleaning up our air and improving our health and wellbeing.”

Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs

Using Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs), the council re-allocated the road space for people walking and cycling last August, due to the many schools and amenities in the local areas and the environmental and health benefits this brings.

A public consultation ran in the first six months of the closure which generated 42,000 contributions.

These were used to inform the decision-making process, alongside other factors such as traffic levels on surrounding streets, traffic speeds, how many people have been using the bridges for walking and cycling and air quality where monitors are in place.

Minor works near Stoneyhurst Bridge

The review concluded that all five bridges should remain permanently closed, with the potential for some further minor works near Stoneyhurst Bridge to address the concerns of people living east of the bridge.

This work includes improving the visibility from Dene Crescent onto Haddricks Mill Road as well as potentially introducing a one-way system on four of the surrounding streets.

All of the bridges reported good levels of walking and cycling in the area while the impact on the surrounding road network was manageable and there was no indication of a negative impact on road safety.

Discussions have also taken place with emergency services which only raised a potential issue with the closures of Argyle Street Bridge, but following further work those concerns have been addressed.

As a follow up to the closure to the bridges, further proposals for low traffic neighbourhoods in Arthur’s Hill, Fenham and Heaton were launched in November, for people to feedback on any potential issues they may foresee ahead of the council implementing changes in early 2022. Comments received from residents are currently being reviewed, which will inform the final designs of the scheme.

The council are working on a rolling programme of low traffic neighbourhoods across the city with further schemes to be released in the coming weeks, including Jesmond, Shieldfield, West Fenham, Kenton and Ouseburn Valley.

Reports setting out the Delegated Decisions for each of the five bridges is published here 

Argyle St – https://democracy.newcastle.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=10801

Haldane – https://democracy.newcastle.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=10799

Dene Bridge / Castle Farm Rd – https://democracy.newcastle.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=10798

Stoneyhurst – https://democracy.newcastle.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=10802

Salters Bridge- https://democracy.newcastle.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=10800

Further information on low traffic neighbourhoods can be found at www.newcastle.gov.uk/neighbourhoods

The above news story was issued by Newcastle City Council and is available to read on the Newcastle City Council website. It has been included here for information and does not necessarily represent the views of High West Jesmond Residents’ Association. 

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Bulky waste collection changes

Newcastle City Council has announced changes to its bulky waste collection procedures

The following news release was issued by Newcastle City Council:

Households looking to dispose of large items of rubbish can do so more often thanks to changes to Newcastle City Council’s bulky waste service.

Previously the dates available for the authority’s paid for collections was linked to a property’s fortnightly general green bin pick-ups.

But now, from Monday August 2, residents will have more choice, with slots for most items available every weekday, and specific white goods collections every Friday.

Cllr Ged Bell, Cabinet member for development, neighbourhoods and transport, said: “We are always looking for ways to improve the services that we offer to residents.

“While we have maintained our regular general waste, recycling and garden waste collections throughout the pandemic, and our recycling centres have been open for the majority of that period, we have seen a huge demand for our bulky waste collection service.

“It is great to see that we can now make changes to increase the amount of choice residents have when booking a paid for pick up, helping our households to dispose of more of their waste in a responsible manner.”

Crews will make paid-for collections of household items that are too large to dispose of in a domestic waste bin from Mondays to Fridays.

This will see residents who book from August 2 onwards offered up to 10 times the options for booking a collection compared to the previous system.

Previously booked pick-ups will take place on their agreed date.

To improve the efficiency of pick-ups white goods only slots – for items like fridges, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, tumble driers, and ovens – will be available every Friday.

And the 25% discount on the cost of booking a bulky collection, which has been in place during the pandemic continues.

Book a bulky waste collection

For more information about arranging a paid for bulky waste collection please visit www.newcastle.gov.uk/bulkywaste.

Alternatively, to book a pick-up, call 0191 278 7878 and ask for “Your Local Services.”

Residents reminded to put bins out on time

Residents in Newcastle are also being reminded to put their bins out on time.

If it is your bin day then bins must be placed on the kerbside or in a back lane by 6.30am.

Crews can attend at any time from 6.30am to 4.30pm and if a bin is not out in time then they will not return for it.

You can check your bin day here.

Or for more information see our bin policies and rules.

Extracts from Newcastle City Council’s bin policies and rules

What time should I put my bins out?

Bins must be placed on the kerbside by 6.30am on the day of collection. Crews can attend at any time from 6.30am to 4.30pm.If you have a back lane please make sure bins are out in the lane.  If your bin was not out in time the crews will not return for it.

Bins should be visible and not hidden by walls, cars or hedges.

They should be brought back in to your property as soon as possible the same day.

We strongly advise customers to put their bins out early morning on collection day to prevent people contaminating the bins or sifting through the contents.

If you are not able to put bins out in the morning, you can put them out as late as possible the night before. Please be aware though you run the risk of your bin being contaminated if you leave it out.

Please clearly mark your bins with your house number. We ask that residents do not leave bins out all the time, especially in back lane areas.

Where should I put my bins?

You should always keep your bins within the boundaries of your property and not just leave them out all the time on pavements or in lanes. Keep them in your front garden, on your drive or inside your garage or back yard. Please always be considerate to your neighbours and pedestrians.

Bins must be placed out on the kerbside by 6.30am on the day of collection. Crews can attend at any time from 6.30am to 4.30pm. If you have a back lane please make sure bins are out in the lane only on collection day.

The above news story was issued by Newcastle City Council and is available to read on the Newcastle City Council website. It has been included here for information and does not necessarily represent the views of High West Jesmond Residents’ Association. 

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Anti social behaviour

As many of you will be aware, the problem of anti-social behaviour in the area has got significantly worse in recent months.

Problems have included street fights, damage to vehicles, theft of bins (which are then set alight on the Little Moor), littering, fires in and damage to the allotments, general rowdy behaviour, and most concerning of all, physical attacks on residents near the allotments and Jesmond Dene.

HWJRA has spoken on many occasions with our Councillors, Council Officers, Community Police and Urban Green Newcastle officers to express our concern about what has been happening and to seek additional focus on the problem.

What you can do to help

HWJRA will continue to do all it can but as the light nights and warmer weather arrive there is a risk that things may escalate further so it would be extremely helpful if residents of High West Jesmond could do the following:

  1. If you see something happening that genuinely merits reporting to the Police, then please do so. If it is a potentially violent or dangerous situation then call 999, if it is property damage or other less dangerous issues then use 101.
  2. If you feel something is worth reporting to the Residents Association, then please do so using the following email address asb@highwestjesmond.co.uk. Please bear in mind that the Residents Association is run by volunteers who aim to promote the area and work on behalf of residents with local authorities. Our powers are limited to liaising with local agencies and officials rather than intervening in any anti-social behaviour.
  3. Very importantly, we recommend storing rubbish bins in your back yard rather than in the back lane as a number of bins have been stolen from back lanes recently and set alight on the Little Moor – plus it makes the area much tidier.
  4. Become a member of the High West Jesmond Residents’ Association (HWJRA).  This will help us keep in touch with you and assist you to have your voice heard.  

Join High West Jesmond Residents’ Association (HWJRA)

HWJRA is one of the most successful residents’ associations in Newcastle. There are approximately 600 households in our area and, from that, we have good representation.

That said, we would still like more members. It costs nothing to join and is by far the easiest way for you to keep in touch with local news and events, especially in the current climate where we all need to stay in touch.

If you live in our area and would like to join the association then all you need to do is send an email with your name, postal address and email address to our membership secretary, Jeffrey Fox.

You can send a message to us through our Contact page on this website.

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