Gosforth High Street cycle lane proposals 'massive step back'

The authority say the trial of the changes on Gosforth High Street is "an effective way to introduce new ideas"

Campaigners say plans to redesign a controversial cycle lane installed as part of social distancing measures are a "massive backwards step".

In 2020, Newcastle City Council removed a lane of traffic on busy Gosforth High Street to make space for cyclists and pedestrians.

Businesses and councillors complained it caused long traffic queues.

Now, proposals to remove the bollards have provoked a backlash over a lack of any dedicated space for cyclists.

On Thursday, the authority said it planned to remove the bollards and install wider pavements.

While campaigners had hoped for a dedicated cycleway running the length of the high street, they fear the council's latest plans would in fact remove existing cycle lanes to make way for an extended bus lane, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Sally Watson, of the Newcastle Cycling Campaign, said: "It is not going to be a nice high street for people to spend time on because it will still have a huge amount of traffic.

"If you are bringing up a family in Newcastle then this is a massively negative thing. It is all about through traffic, not about local people."

The council said cycle parking would be improved and it was working on ways to connect the high street to cycle routes

Jane Byrne, the council's cabinet member for transport, insisted pre-existing cycle lanes would not be removed.

"What we are doing is replacing the bollards, which people have asked us to do, with a scheme that will make best use of the limited space available," she said.

"We believe that our proposal will create a greener and pleasanter environment for people visiting this high street. It will also prioritise buses in what is a very important public transport corridor for local and regional services," she added.

The authority said it planned to bring in the redesign in early-2023 on an 18-month trial basis during which time it would take feedback from locals.