Have your say on a new political map for Newcastle City Council

A new pattern of wards is being developed for Newcastle City Council.

The following news release was issued by Newcastle City Council:

The Local Government Boundary Commission has decided that the number of councillors in Newcastle should be 78, the same as now.

The Local Government Boundary Commission wants to hear what residents and organisations think about their local area. A 10-week consultation inviting proposals will run until 1 April 2024.

The Commission is the independent body that draws these boundaries.

It is reviewing Newcastle to make sure councillors represent about the same number of electors, and that ward arrangements help the council work effectively. It wants to be sure that its proposals reflect community ties and identities.

The Commission is interested in views on which communities should be part of the same ward. What facilities do people share, such as parks, leisure centres or schools and shopping areas? What issues do neighbouring communities face that they have in common, such as high numbers of visitors or heavy traffic?

Have there been new housing or commercial developments that have changed the focus of communities? And are there roads, rivers, railways, or other features that people believe form strong boundaries between neighbourhoods?

The Commission will use local views to help it draw up proposals for new ward boundaries. There will be a further round of consultation once the Commission has drawn up those proposals.

Launching the consultation Professor Colin Mellors, Chair of the Commission, said: “We want people in Newcastle to help us.

“We are starting to draw up new wards for Newcastle. We want our proposals for new electoral arrangements to reflect communities. We also want them to be easy to understand and convenient for local people.

“Residents and local organisations can help us understand community ties and identities at this early stage of the process.

“It’s easy to get involved. Go to our website. Or you can e-mail or write to us.

“Just tell us what you think and give us some details why you think that. It’s really simple, so do get involved.”

People can give their views via our website at https://www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/newcastle-upon-tyne/feedback

People can also give their views by e-mail at reviews@lgbce.org.uk, and by post:

Review Officer (Newcastle upon Tyne)

LGBCE

PO Box 133

Blyth

NE24 9FE

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is an independent body accountable to Parliament. It recommends fair electoral and boundary arrangements for local authorities in England. In doing so, it aims to

Make sure that, within an authority, each councillor represents a similar number of electors
Reflect the electoral cycle so that each ward is represented by three councillors
Create boundaries that are appropriate, and reflect community ties and identities

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.

March 15, 2023March 15, 2023

HWJRA statement on proposals for possible road closures

Statement by High West Jesmond Residents’ Association regarding proposals for possible road closures in High West Jesmond

The western end of Moorfield as it meets the Great North Road, High West Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne

High West Jesmond Residents’ Association (HWJRA) is aware that, at a public meeting held in Gosforth last week, proposals for possible future road closures were shared with members of the public.

Many of these proposals, including a possible closure of the west end of Moorfield, would have a significant impact on High West Jesmond so it is of great concern to us that none of the 600 households in High West Jesmond received a letter inviting them to the meeting.

We will be taking this matter up directly with the council and insisting that High West Jesmond residents are fully involved in any consultation process.

At this stage we don’t feel it would be appropriate to comment on the specific proposals as they haven’t been properly explained to us and we haven’t had the opportunity to share them with local residents to gauge opinion.

It is now our intention to get this information from the council and share it through our usual communication forums.

We have been assured by our local councillors that the proposals were initial ideas only and that full consultation will take place before anything is implemented.

About High West Jesmond Residents’ Association

High West Jesmond Residents’ Association (HWJRA) was established to support the residents of 600 households in the local area.

You can read more on the High West Jesmond Residents’ Association page.

June 22, 2019June 22, 2019

Banqueting Hall in Jesmond Dene

Banqueting House in Jesmond Dene. Photo courtesy Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust

Members of the public are invited to comment on the Charity Commission’s proposed changes to Lord Armstrong’s Deed of Gift dated 1883 as it relates to the Banqueting Hall and Jesmond Dene Park.

The following announcement has been released by the JRA:

Urgent Update: The Banqueting Hall and the Charity Commission – The Armstrong and Hodgkin Charitable Trust

As the Jesmond Residents’ Association’s representative for matters relating to the Banqueting Hall and the Jesmond Dene Estate, I have responded to the charity Commission’s proposed changes to Lord Armstrong’s Deed of Gift dated 1883 as it relates to the Banqueting Hall and Jesmond Dene Park.

JRA concerns expressed

The Jesmond Residents’ Association has raised a strong objection highlighting a number of significant issues which must be taken into consideration before any changes are made.

In brief:

1. The poor quality of the consultation regarding the proposed changes by Newcastle City Council. This demonstrates a lack of fairness and openness, and unseemly and unnecessary haste.

It does not demonstrate or reflect the opinions of Jesmond residents or indeed the citizens of Newcastle.

2. The lack of clarity regarding the fate of the four endowment properties held within the Jesmond Dene estate.

The income generated from these properties is ring fenced for the management, upkeep and restoration of the Banqueting Hall as stated in Lord Armstrong’s Deed of Gift.

3. The actual intentions behind the proposed changes have not been made clear by Newcastle City Council or the new Newcastle Parks and Allotments Trust.

The use of Jesmond Dene and the function of the Banqueting Hall were clearly separated by Lord Armstrong’s Deed of Gift. This was for good reason and we do not know why this should be changed.

The Banqueting Hall as a “controlled ruin” is used by the Armstrong Studio Trust and it fulfils Lord Armstrong’s intentions with their outreach activities. Many activities take place within Jesmond Dene which again fulfil Lord Armstrong’s intentions within the Deed of Gift.

4. The current financial effectiveness of Lord Armstrong Deed of Gift is under review by Newcastle City Council which is appropriate. However, there are a number of ideas and proposals from interested parties regarding sourcing funds which should be discussed publicly and openly by Newcastle City Council and Newcastle Parks and Allotments Trust.

Your opportunity to comment

Comments or representations on these proposals can be made to the Charity Commission within one month of 01 June 2019 by completing the form of notice on

www.charitycommission.gov.uk/our-regulatory-work/how-to-comment-on-a-scheme/schemes-and-orders

The scheme number is 494310

I would strongly recommend that you make your voices heard and respond to the Charity Commission proposal. Eileen Strouzer

The above news story was issued by Jesmond Residents’ Association. It has been included here for information and does not necessarily represent the views of High West Jesmond Residents’ Association.

April 9, 2019April 9, 2019

Local elections – register to vote by 12 April

Local elections will be held in Newcastle upon Tyne on Thursday 2 May 2019.

Newcastle City Council elections

One seat in each of the Council’s 26 wards will be up for election.

This includes the Dene and South Gosforth ward that High West Jesmond is part of.

Ensure that you are registered to vote by 12 April 2019.

Find out more information on the Newcastle City Council website.

Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland Combined Authority Mayoral Election 2019

On 2 May 2019 there will be a mayoral election for the North of Tyne Combined Authority.

People who are registered to vote in local elections for any of the three councils: Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland are eligible to vote.

Find out more details of the mayoral election on the North of Tyne Combined Authority website.

How to register to vote

To vote in the elections to be held on Thursday 2 May 2019 you must be registered by Friday 12 April 2019.

You can now register to vote online in as little as 3 minutes on the GOV.UK website. All you need is your name, address, date of birth and National Insurance number.

July 4, 2017September 3, 2017

East Gosforth Annual Ward meeting

A single meeting to consult with residents

Newcastle City Council has recently delivered leaflets to residents informing them of the East Gosforth Annual Ward meeting which will take place on Monday 10 July 2017 from 18:30 in St Nicholas’ Church Hall Annex, Wardle Street, NE3 1YT.

Items for discussion are to include:

Policing
Haddricks Mill
Nexus

Watch East Gosforth Cllr Dominic Raymont talk about the ward meeting in this short video.

Membership of East Gosforth Ward Committee

Councillors H Gallagher, D Raymont and D Slesenger, teh councillors for East Gosforth ward form the committee.

General lnformation on Ward Annual Priority Setting meetings

The following information has been issued by Newcastle City Council:

Each ofthe 26 Wards ofthe city will hold 1 annual targeted event to identify
ward priorities
Annual evenls will be led by Ward Councillors in consultation with local
residents and stakeholders to share identifred draft priorities and seek
validation and commitment for collaborative solutions with partners and the
community and voluntary sector
Ward priorities will be agreed for the following 12 months and will inform ward
committee budget expenditure
Annual events will focus on priorilies for the ward and what we can do in
partnership, encouraging all stakeholders to be part of the response
ldentified ward priorities will inform a work programme / action plan for the
ward and we will work directly with communities based on core themes of
active citizenship, building community capacity, behavioural change and
developing community partnerships
Common themes will be considered where joint action plans can be developed
to avoid duplication and promote best practice.

Further information can be obtained from:
Beverley Ogle, Communities Officer beverley.ogle@newcastle.gov.uk

August 21, 2016August 25, 2017

Residents unite to oppose Blue House Roundabout plans

Complete opposition from all sides to council plans

Today residents’ associations in High West Jesmond, Jesmond and Admirals 5 (Matthew Bank) held a meeting and agreed to unite in their complete opposition to the proposed plans put forward by Newcastle City Council for revised road layouts and junctions around Blue House Roundabout and Jesmond Dene Road.

99% of respondents all all 3 MPs opposed

Residents, businesses, motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, environmental organisations, local and national road traffic organisations, 99% of all respondents on the council’s own consultation website, all 3 local MP’s and the majority of local ward councillors are all unanimous in their rejection of the proposed plans for Blue House Roundabout/Jesmond Dene Road.

Council must now listen

The feedback has been of a high quality, constructive and very clear. The council must now listen to this feedback.

We therefore call on the council to:

immediately shelve their plans for Blue House roundabout/Jesmond Dene Road;
scrap their plans for a revised proposal to be presented in mid- September as this simply will not allow enough time for feedback to be properly evaluated; and
restart the whole process, engaging in proper, meaningful consultation with local residents, businesses and interest groups to ensure that the needs and wishes of all local stakeholders are properly taken into account before any future proposal is put forward for consideration.