Tag: planning

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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.

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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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Council releases initial report on bridges closure consultation

Bridges closed included nearby Stoneyhurst Bridge, Castle Farm Road, Salters Bridge and Haldane Bridge.

The following news release was issued by Newcastle City Council:

An interim report on the findings of a public consultation on the closure of five local bridges to vehicles was released on 17 March 2021 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 Bridge in South Gosforth since last August, as part of the council’s commitment to reduce traffic in local areas and create more liveable neighbourhoods where people are prioritised over cars.

ETRO’s used

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

Under ETROs, public consultation must take place within the first six months of the closure, although the changes can remain in place for up to 18 months with a decision needed in that time.

public consultation generated a considerable response

The public consultation generated a considerable response and the council are keen to stress that the consultation isn’t a referendum based on numbers for or against, but on gathering the public’s feedback and experience of the closures.

42,000 contributions plus independent survey specific to Stoneyhurst and Dene bridges

The interim report, written by an independent researcher, sets out the findings from the consultation, which generated over 42,000 contributions about the closure of the five bridges to vehicles via all consultation channels, including the public consultation site on Commonplace.

A further 3,385 contributions were received via social media and Let’s Talk Newcastle. Over 1,000 contributions were received via a petition and a Liberal Democrat Councillor conducted independent survey – relating specifically to Stoneyhurst and Dene bridges. The vast majority of people gave their views to the consultation only once. Though in relation to the closure of the bridge on Stoneyhurst Road, a small number of people made multiple representations.

Key findings from the public consultation include:

Argyle Street Bridge

  • The closure of Argyle Street Bridge to motorised traffic was felt to be largely effective in supporting walking and cycling, with a majority of responses across both the formal ETRO correspondence and online Commonplace contributions feeling that this closure to motor vehicles should remain in place permanently.

Dene Street Bridge

  • The closure of Dene Bridge to motorised traffic was also often felt by many who took part to be effective in supporting walking and cycling, with a majority of responses across the online Commonplace contributions praising the closure and suggesting that this closure should remain in place permanently. ETRO responses were slightly less positive, with a majority opposing the closure of the bridge to motorised traffic though it should be reflected the number of representations for each position was very similar.

Haldane Bridge

  • The closure of Haldane Bridge to motorised traffic attracted a mixed response. Felt to be largely effective by a small majority of ETRO responses, it was felt to be less effective across the online Commonplace contributions.

Salters Bridge

  • The closure of Salters Bridge to motorised traffic also attracted a mixed response. It was felt to be effective by a small majority of those who submitted formal ETRO responses, it was felt to be less effective across the Commonplace contributions.

Stoneyhurst Bridge

  • The closure of Stoneyhurst Bridge to motorised traffic attracted a notably more critical response than any of the other bridges. Both formally, and online the majority of responses to this consultation were critical of the closure to motor vehicles and believed the bridge should be reopened to vehicles.

In the majority of the consultations people only contributed one written response. However, in the consultation about Stoneyhurst Bridge a number of people chose to make repeated representations. In this consultation for example, the three people who responded to the formal consultation the most, were collectively responsible for 13% of the 362 written representations (46 formal written responses).

more in-depth report is being prepared for each bridge

At a high level, the different comments and concerns raised are explored in the summary report and a more in-depth report is being prepared for each bridge. This will help to inform the long-term decisions on the future of all bridges.

Cllr Arlene Ainsley, cabinet member for transport and air quality said: “We would like to thank everyone who took part in the consultation. As we have said previously, this isn’t a referendum on whether or not to keep the bridges closed or where only the loudest voices are heard.  There are many more factors that need to be considered.

“A lot of the negativity towards the schemes have been about people feeling inconvenienced, but we need to look at the bigger picture. This is about creating more liveable neighbourhoods that are people-focused, as we have set out in our ambitious plans for the city centre, and reducing polluting traffic on our local streets is a key part of this.

“With less traffic cutting through local streets, neighbourhoods are much safer and attractive places for the people who live there, for children to play, and this also encourages more people to walk and cycle on short local journeys – which is crucial to clean up our air and meet our net zero carbon targets.

“The feedback from the public is incredibly important in developing more liveable neighbourhoods – where people are prioritised over traffic. People have taken the time to tell us their views and it’s really important that we listen to what they’ve said and review this thoroughly before making long-term decisions. We expect to be in a position to do this from late-May onwards.

“Through the bridge closure programme, we have set out our clear commitment to reducing traffic in local areas – creating cleaner, greener and safer neighbourhoods and we look forward to expanding this programme to other areas of the city.”

None of the fake accounts and comments identified last month on the independent consultation platform have been included in the report.

The bridge closures will remain in place while the council conducts a full review of the public consultation, as well as considering other factors such as traffic levels on surrounding streets, air quality, traffic speeds, how many people have been using the bridges for walking and cycling, air quality where monitors are in place, responses to the legal orders and feedback from statutory consultees, including blue light services, before making a final decision in the coming months.

Each bridge will be reviewed on an individual basis, due to the unique characteristics of each bridge and location, which may mean the long-term future on some bridges may be decided sooner than others.

An in-depth analysis on the consultation will be released alongside the final decisions which the council expect to start releasing from early summer.

You can read the initial report on bridges closure consultation on the Newcastle City Council website:

ETRO Themes FINAL.pdf

Safer Newcastle Bridges – Summary Report – March 2021.pdf

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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Bridge closure consultation period ends soon

The six-month public consultation closes on 15 February 2021.

Bridges closed included nearby Stoneyhurst Bridge, Castle Farm Road, Salters Bridge and Haldane Bridge.

The following news release was issued by Newcastle City Council:

Newcastle City Council closed five local bridges to vehicles in August as part of its response to the pandemic in order to aid social distancing as well as meeting the demand from residents for better walking and cycling facilities.

The bridges include:

  • Salters Bridge, Parklands ward
  • Castle Farm Road, Dene and South Gosforth
  • Haldane Bridge, South Jesmond
  • Argyle Street Bridge, Ouseburn
  • Stoneyhurst Bridge, Dene and South Gosforth

To date, over 9,000 comments have been made, with Salters Bridge in Gosforth generating the most comments.

All bridges are key routes for people walking or cycling to local schools or amenities but enable traffic to cut through residential streets rather than using more appropriate routes.

By closing the routes to unnecessary traffic, the council re-allocated the road space for people walking and cycling, creating safer, cleaner, and greener neighbourhoods.

Cllr Arlene Ainsley, cabinet member for transport and air quality said: “This programme of closures is more than just stopping traffic from cutting through local streets, it’s about all the environmental, safety, health and wellbeing improvements that come with it.

“By making small changes to our infrastructure, we can make big changes in how people move around their local area – whether it’s walking more to increase your daily steps, reducing your carbon footprint, getting to school safely, or just enjoying fresh air in your local neighbourhood as part of your daily exercise.

“People who need to drive on local journeys, can still drive, but there are more safe options for people who want to walk or cycle more.

“We will closely review all of the comments received alongside data we’ve been collecting, as well as feedback from statutory consultees which include emergency services, so please ensure you have your say.”

The consultation closes on 15 February.

The bridge closures will remain in place while the council conducts a review of the public consultation, as well as considering other factors such as traffic levels on surrounding streets, air quality, traffic speeds, how many people have been using the bridges for walking and cycling, air quality where monitors are in place, responses to the legal orders and feedback from statutory consultees, including blue light services, before making a final decision within the coming months.

People are invited to have their say at https://safenewcastlebridges.commonplace.is/ by 15 February 2021.

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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Council closes Stoneyhurst Road Bridge and Castle Farm Bridge

Newcastle City Council has announced plans to close several bridges to vehicles.

This includes Stoneyhurst Road Bridge and Castle Farm Bridge in the Dene and South Gosforth ward of the city.

Experimental traffic regulation orders

Newcastle City Council is using experimental traffic regulation orders to close the bridges to vehicles and this will be operational from 13 August 2020.

The bridges will remain open to people on foot and on bikes.

Under an experimental traffic regulation order, the first six months of the closure is for public consultation.

Newcastle City Council has stated that during this six month period people can leave feedback and comments on the closure and these will be considered before a final decision is made.

Information on Council website

You can visit the Newcastle City Council website to find out more.  Details are at https://safenewcastlebridges.commonplace.is/

Objections to permanent closure

If you wish to object to a permanement closure you can send your objection by 15 February 2021 to:

Newcastle Parking Services
PO Box 2BL
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE99 2BL

or email to traffic.notices@newcastle.gov.uk

Newcastle City Council news release

The following news release was issued by Newcastle City Council:

Many of the bridges selected are used by inappropriate levels of traffic for small structures, using the bridges to cut through residential streets. By restricting traffic, the council will also meet the rising demand for better walking and cycling in local neighbourhoods.

The bridges include: 
•    Salters Bridge, Parklands
•    Dene Bridge, Castle Farm Road, Dene and South Gosforth 
•    Haldane Bridge, South Jesmond 
•    Argyle Street Bridge, Ouseburn 
•    Stoneyhurst Bridge, Dene and South Gosforth 

A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: “Road transport is responsible for a third of our city’s carbon emissions and is the main reason for poor air quality. By restricting traffic in these areas we believe it will help create safer, cleaner and greener neighbourhoods and encourage more walking and cycling which has huge environmental and health benefits for everyone. 

“We’re listening to the public which is why we have a six-month public consultation where people can tell us their views. This will inform whether or not we make the closures permanent. We encourage everyone to engage with us constructively both on these changes, and others we will be bringing forward across the city.”

Initially concrete blocks will be in place on 13 August, but over the coming days and weeks these will be replaced with other materials.

Using Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders, the council has the legal powers to close the bridges to vehicles from 13 August. Statutory consultation has taken place with authorities such as emergency services and the legal orders have been put in place. 

Public consultation period will take place for the first six months when the closures are in place. During this time, residents can leave feedback and comments on the closure, and these will be considered before a final decision is made on whether to make the changes permanent. 

To take part in the consultation  please go to https://safenewcastlebridges.commonplace.is/ 

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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