Mixed views after low traffic neighbourhood axed

Campaigners against Jesmond's low traffic neighbourhood (LTN)

Residents and business owners have given mixed views after a low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) was axed.

Newcastle City Council announced on Wednesday that the scheme in Jesmond would be scrapped on Monday.

The trial, which launched last March, was due to run until September.

But the local authority decided to ditch the scheme, citing pressures faced by local businesses and increased traffic on some roads.

Resident’s group OneJesmond was a vocal opponent of the LTN, which had been created to make areas safer and less polluted.

Gill Reeve, who owns a sandwich bar, told BBC Radio Newcastle she was “delighted” by the plans to remove the bollards, which block traffic on some streets between Cradlewell and Osborne Road.

She said the LTN had stopped regular customers as they had to use main roads to access her business.

“They simply couldn’t spare the time anymore,” she said.

In a report detailing the decision, the Labour-run local authority said all those who identified as local business owners in its consultation “expressed a negative view”.

It said some presented data which showed a reduction in customers and revenue.

'Scary incidents'

But Sally Watson, whose children had to travel through the Jesmond LTN to go to school, said the bollards had made it far safer for them to walk and cycle.

“Previously they regularly had scary incidents of road rage and close passes by drivers,” she said.

She said the council should have done a better job at promoting the potential benefits, and added that she was worried about traffic once the bollards are removed.

The Jesmond LTN trial had been due to run until September

The council’s report did reveal some benefits, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Preliminary air pollution data showed the LTN was linked to a 13% reduction in nitrogen dioxide levels at one monitoring station.

It also found, when comparing November 2022 to April 2023, that there was a drop in over 2,500 vehicles a day driving on residential street Osborne Avenue.

An additional 100 cycle journeys a day were also made across Armstrong Bridge, data showed.

There was no evidence that the LTN had led to an increase in accidents.

Remaining schemes

The council did find that the LTN had increased the number of right-turning vehicles from Jesmond Road into Osborne Road, increasing westbound journey times there by 70% during the evening peak.

It received more than 23,000 pieces of feedback, of which 77% were considered to be negative.

There are two remaining LTNs in Newcastle: Beatty Avenue in South Gosforth which was made permanent on 23 January, and a trial LTN in Heaton.

An LTN in Fenham was removed in September following backlash.

Councillor Marion Williams, who is responsible for transport, said the LTN "achieved many of it's objectives", but it needed to "work for local people" which "some aspects of the scheme have failed to do".

The council did not want to comment further.