Jesmond Low Traffic Neighbourhood consultation extended

A number of roads have been closed to vehicles in Jesmond

A consultation over Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) changes has been extended for another month.

Newcastle City Council is seeking views on a scheme in Jesmond which has divided opinion.

Some residents have welcomed quieter streets while others complain the LTN has increased congestion on surrounding streets and cut off traders.

Cabinet member Jane Byrne said the authority wanted to make sure everyone had a "fair opportunity" to comment.

"There's already been a great deal of feedback, which we welcome, and a significant number of requests for information, which we are continuing to respond to," she said.

"We have recently requested further details and evidence from the local community about the impacts of the trial, so we're allowing additional time for people to provide this."

The extension will also allow the effect of children going back to school to be taken into account.

Newcastle City Council said it would look at a future scheme in Fenham

A number of residential streets have been closed to through traffic between Osborne Road and Cradlewell as part of the council's "safer, cleaner and greener" neighbourhood programme.

The trial changes are aimed at stopping traffic rat-running by rerouting it on to main roads.

Meanwhile, some residents in Fenham have demanded the council reverse its decision to scrap the LTN there, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The authority last week removed road closures around Gowland Avenue, Nuns Moor Road and Kingsway.

There had been a "significant reduction" in traffic on the closed streets but too many cars were displaced on to other residential roads and it had made "little to no impact" on reducing school traffic, the council said.

But resident Jen Vidrine said the council had "removed a measure that has enhanced our community".

It had wrongly considered the various measures across the ward as one scheme, she said, arguing extra traffic on Queensway was "in no way" caused by the closures.

The council accepted there was still a problem and said it would look at introducing a different LTN scheme.

Consultation on the Jesmond LTN will now end on 15 October.