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A neighbourhood low traffic zone that aimed to reduce the number of vehicles using residential streets in Jesmond will be removed.

Newcastle City Council has today (31 January) confirmed that the scheme will not be implemented on a permanent basis following a 10-month pilot.

The neighbourhood low traffic zone was introduced in March 2023 with residential streets closed to through traffic between Osborne Road and Cradlewell.

It aimed to make streets safer, cleaner and greener by preventing drivers from cutting through local streets.

This would see vehicles re-routed to more appropriate routes, while encouraging more people to walk and cycle on local journeys.

The city council have confirmed that the pilot had achieved many of the objectives set out when introducing the scheme.

However, their data monitoring highlighted some residents experienced congestion and lengthened journey time. Local businesses also told them it had impacted their trade.

The council has confirmed the measures will now be removed and learning from this scheme used in future transport schemes.

More than 23,000 residents responded to the consultation and up to 77 per cent of those opposed the changes in Jesmond.

Cllr Marion Williams, cabinet member for a Connected, Clean City, says the scheme would only have been made permanent if it worked for local people.

She said: “Low traffic neighbourhoods were introduced because communities told us they wanted their streets to be safer, cleaner and greener.

“The streets involved in the Jesmond scheme have seen significant reductions in traffic and we have achieved many of the objectives of the project.

“However, anything we introduce needs to work for local people and it is clear that some aspects of this scheme have failed to do that.

“We carried out an open consultation because our residents have a voice. You can help shape our decision making and we have listened to that feedback.

“But it is not the consultation alone that has led to this decision. All evidence gathered, including the data monitoring, has been considered.

“Those residents who supported the pilot will be disappointed. We know you felt your streets were safer with the measures in place.

“I want to make clear that we are committed to making improvements to how people move around Newcastle.

“There are lessons to be learnt from this pilot, including how we can better engage residents when designing future schemes.

“We want a greener future for our city and we want safer community for families, but, crucially, we want you to shape what that looks like.

“In the coming weeks we will be looking to engage with people in the area to see what future improvements can be made to improve the lives of residents.”

Public consultation ran in the first six months of the scheme before being extended to consider the impact of the new academic year on traffic in the area.

Newcastle City Council have revealed the consultation generated over 23,500 pieces of feedback, with up to 77 per cent of respondents opposing the scheme.

Opponents cited congestion caused by displaced traffic, longer journey times, negative impact on local trade and insufficient consultation.

They also said there had been increased air pollution and road safety issues but council data did not show there was any evidence to support those concerns.

Through the public consultation, supporters of the scheme said the changes to traffic had enhanced their local area and their experience of living in it.

They also responded to the consultation to say they felt safer with traffic re-routed on to more appropriate routes so were more likely to take up active travel.

Newcastle City Council also responded to concerns raised throughout the pilot on the impact on emergency service response times.

Northumbria Police, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, and the North East Ambulance Service all said their response times were unaffected.

The fire service referenced two incidents in the 10-month pilot where there were delays, however, they cited environmental factors could have been the reason.

Police said there had been no impact on their response or any increase in anti-social behaviour. The ambulance service said their response time was unaffected.

Cllr Williams added: “We worked closely with our emergency service partners throughout the consultation period and they closely monitored response data.

“Data shows their response times were unaffected and no road traffic collisions took place that could be attributed to the pilot.

“In fact, the reduction of traffic on residential streets was welcomed from a road safety perspective and that is an important consideration for future projects.

“To be clear, we would not have continued to run the scheme for as long as we did if serious concerns had been raised with us on this matter.”

The delegated decision published by the council today means the bollards will be removed on Monday, February 5.

People are reminded that there is only a few more days left to have their say on traffic changes in Jesmond.

The extended public consultation on the neighbourhood low traffic zone trial closes this Sunday, October 15.

The public consultation period was extended to allow people to submit further information and evidence on the impact of the scheme, including the return of the academic year and any school-related traffic issues.

A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: “We’d like to thank everyone who has taken part in the consultation so far, and this is a final call for people who have yet to do so, as it is really important that we hear from a wide range of voices.

“The information, data and evidence that we collect as part of this trial will help to inform decision-making on the long-term future of the scheme.

“We’ve had a considerable volume of responses from residents and businesses, which we will need to take time to carefully review and consider to allow us to come to a fair conclusion.”

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 changes, which have been introduced on a trial basis, are aimed at preventing traffic from cutting through local streets by re-routing them onto more appropriate routes.

As part of the Jesmond East neighbourhood low traffic zone, closures were placed on Manor House Road and its junctions with Osborne Avenue, Shortridge Terrace, Buston Terrace, Cavendish Terrace and at the entrance to Manor House Road Back Lane and the junction of Manor House Road (opposite the back lane of Queens Road and Fern Avenue) which were in place on 6 March. Due to displacement of traffic as people sought to avoid the closures, additional measures were installed on Jesmond Dene Road and Akenside Terrace from 31 March.

Thank you to everyone for your input to the Jesmond neighbourhood low traffic zone trials consultation. Your comments have been considered as part of the consultation process and will contribute to the consultation findings.

We’d like to understand more about your comments so that we can gather the best possible evidence for the fullest picture of the ways that residents’ lives have been impacted by the trials.

We’d like you to tell us more detail about how the trials have impacted your daily life, whether good or bad.

• If you live in the area, which street do you live on?

• If you travel through the trial areas, tell us how often you make the journey, the times of day that you regularly travel, the streets you are usually travelling from and to, what mode of transport you use, and how much time has been added or saved to your journey.

• If you take children to school or nursery before travelling to work, tell us how often you make the journey, the streets you are traveling from and to, what mode of transport you use for this journey and how much time has been added or saved.

• If you own a business in the trial areas, tell us which street(s) you are operating from, the extent of any changes to your footfall (including any particular times of day most affected), income, deliveries or staff that you think are related to the trials.

• If you or someone you care for has a disability or a long-term condition, tell us how the trials have affected the ways you travel through the trial area, the streets you usually travel from and to, how often you make the journey, the times of day that you usually travel, and how much time has been added or saved to your journey.

This information is important because it allows us to better analyse specific impacts of the trials on the lives of residents in conjunction with the wider aims of the scheme.

We also want to understand more about your views on the wider impacts of the trials, for example if you have felt less safe or have witnessed traffic congestion that you think is connected with the trials, tell us where and when.

We can assure you that the information you have already provided will inform the consultation findings and that you do not have to provide this further information to us, but we hope that you will take this opportunity to support the Council in gathering the best possible evidence we can, to make future decisions for the city. Please send your responses before 10 September 2023 to neighbourhoods@newcastle.gov.uk

A further report into a neighbourhood low traffic zone has been released by Newcastle City Council.

The report is a further update to residents on the impact of trialling traffic changes in the Jesmond area. Several residential streets have been closed to through traffic between Osborne Road and Cradlewell as part of a neighbourhood low traffic zone trial. This prevents traffic cutting through local streets by re-routing vehicles on to more appropriate routes as part of the council’s safer, cleaner and greener neighbourhoods programme.

With five weeks left of the consultation, the reports sets out key issues that have been identified and how the council will address them to inform decision making on the long-term future of the scheme, including collecting more data and evidence.

They are also urging people to use the council’s channels set up for the scheme via phone, email or consultation platform, to ensure they capture everyone’s feedback directly and they can contact people and businesses for further information.

The collecting of further data and information will be used to help the council make an evidence-based approach to fully understand the impact of the scheme on communities. This could include giving details of locations and times of journeys where people have raised concerns of increased journey times.

The main issues raised and how they will be addressed by the council include:

• Many residents have raised concerns about increased congestion on Osborne Road. Although there has been a recent increase in the number of vehicles using this road, traffic counts are similar to pre-pandemic levels. The council will commission further traffic surveys at the Osborne Road / Jesmond Road junction to understand traffic flows better and see if any further mitigation steps, such as additional signage, are required at this junction which will ease congestion. The council will also look at the option of using ANPR cameras to continue to monitor journey times along Osborne Road.

• Concerns have also been raised about congestion on Jesmond Road (A1058). Journey times did increase in both directions initially but eastbound journeys look to be returning to pre-pandemic levels. but Westbound journeys between Benfield Road and Osborne Road are taking just over 3 minutes more at peak times. . Further concerns about the small amount of vehicles being able to turn right at the traffic signals for the Jesmond Road / Osborne Road junction have also been raised. The council will look at ways to encourage people travelling to Jesmond to use alternative routes via Portland Terrace and Osborne Terrace.

• Increases in traffic volume on Granville Road which the council will undertake additional monitoring.

• With increased traffic using Osborne Road, many residents have raised issues with air quality on this road. Air quality is being monitored which won’t be conclusive until June 2024, however early indicators show this is below the 40 ug/m3 where councils need to act. The council will carry out additional air pollution monitoring and are looking at adding more greenery and planting in the area to help improve air quality.

• Residents living within the zone who have experienced increased congestion exiting the zone as well as those who have to use more circuitous routes. The council will carry out a survey of residents within the zone to get specific examples of how they have been affected and to understand their overall views of the scheme.

• The challenges for working parents who need to drop children to and from school has also been raised. The council will be looking at data collected so far to establish the scale of the issue and is encouraging people to submit further evidence of the impact. A trial ‘walking bus’ to West Jesmond Primary School will be put in place and the council will talk to all local nurseries and private schools in the area about developing school travel plans. The council will write to all private secondary schools in the area asking them to remind parents about the excellent public transport links to Jesmond and the concessionary fares available to school students.

• Feedback has been received about the impact of the LTN on people with disabilities and on care provided to older people. In some cases concerns have been raised that there has been a negative impact and in others, people have reported no impact or a positive impact. The council will investigate whether these groups or others have been affected as part of the survey of residents living within the zone.

• The impact on local businesses within the trial has also been raised through the public consultation. The council will invite local businesses to provide further information and data.

• Some people have raised crime and safety issues, with regards to not feeling as safe with less traffic around. The council will continue to monitor local crime data and we will seek further views from residents around safety.

• The impact on the emergency services has also been raised by residents. Northumbria Police have confirmed they support the continuation of the trial. Further engagement between the police and council will take place to look at whether any mitigation is required in relation to police operational issues. The North East Ambulance Service has confirmed that no issues or concerns have been raised by ambulance crews serving the local area. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed that crews have experienced no adverse operational impact as a result of the LTN. The council will continue to work with emergency services to analyse the date in relation to the trial, ensuring that public safety is a top priority.

Cllr Jane Byrne, cabinet member for a connected, clean city said: “This public consultation period is important as it allows us to listen to residents’ experiences, both for and against, and we want to ensure we’re hearing from all voices.

“During this trial, there has been several themes highlighted which we are keen to understand further as part of this consultation period. We want to come to a fair conclusion which is why we will be collecting more data and asking people for further information as this will inform our long-term decision making on the scheme.

“We would encourage everyone to use our official channels to leave us their feedback as we enter the last weeks of this consultation period.”

As part of the Jesmond East neighbourhood low traffic zone, closures were placed on Manor House Road and its junctions with Osborne Avenue, Shortridge Terrace, Buston Terrace, Cavendish Terrace and at the entrance to Manor House Road Back Lane and the junction of Manor House Road (opposite the back lane of Queens Road and Fern Avenue) which were in place on 6 March. Due to displacement of traffic as people sought to avoid the closures, additional measures were installed on Jesmond Dene Road and Akenside Terrace from 31 March. 

A new interim report into a neighbourhood low traffic zone has been released by Newcastle City Council.

The report is released half-way through a public consultation into a trial on traffic changes in the Jesmond area, which aims to prevent through traffic between Osborne Road and Cradlewell. Several residential streets were closed to stop vehicles cutting through and rerouted onto more appropriate routes as part of the council’s aim to create safer, cleaner and greener neighbourhoods.

Since the scheme was implemented in March, the council has been monitoring the impact of traffic on the surrounding streets, as well as collecting data on numbers of people walking and cycling and reviewing feedback from residents and local businesses.

Prior to the closures in place, Osborne Avenue was being used by around 3,750 vehicles a day at its western end. This has dramatically decreased to around 1,250 vehicles per day and taking more than 2,500 vehicles off this residential street.

With more traffic using the Coast Road (A1058) rather than cutting through the neighbourhood low traffic zone, the council were keen to understand the impact this has had on journey times and volume of traffic on this key commuter route, by using traffic information based on 2019 (pre-pandemic) as a baseline figure.

Key findings are:

• Weekday vehicle counts on the A1058 Coast Road eastbound are 18% lower in May 2023 when compared to 2019. Westbound vehicle counts are similar to 2019.

• Analysis of journey time data shows that eastbound journey times have improved since the scheme was introduced to four minutes between Sandyford Road and Benfield Road. Westbound journeys saw increased journey times initially but look to be returning to levels seen similar to 2019.

• Weekday vehicle counts increased on Osborne Road following the measures being installed but remain at a similar level to that seen in 2019.

• Pedestrian and cyclist counts have increased over time since the implementation of measures. Examples includes an average daily total of 1,137 people on foot were counted on Jesmond Dene Road at its junction with Benton Bank from 1 April to 4 June 2023 compared to 903 in the week prior to the measures being installed. There has also been a noticeable increase in cycling on Grosvenor Road since the scheme was implemented, however due to the seasonal nature of walking and cycling more longer-term data is required to create a fuller picture.

• Air quality monitors placed on Osborne Road, one opposite the entrance to Jesmond Nursery, and the second close to Grosvenor Road are showing readings of 34.6ug/m3 and 18ug/m3 respectively, which are below the annual limit of 40ug/m3 where councils have to act. However, this is only one reading and clearer indications on air quality will require further readings for a comprehensive view which won’t be conclusive until June 2024.

• The consultation has generated considerable interest with as of 8 June, 1,442 individual respondents have taken part in the online consultation. Including 2,239 comments. Of the comments 316 are positive, 23 are mostly positive, 19 are neutral, 46 are mostly negative, 1046 are negative and 794 had no sentiment chosen.

Cllr Jane Byrne, cabinet member for a connected, clean city said: “As this is half-way through the trial, this is an opportunity to present some of the data we have collected. However, it is important to caveat that this is just a snapshot in time and more data would be needed over a longer period to provide a fuller and more accurate picture.

“There is still more work to be done on understanding the impact of these changes in the area and we will be looking at this in more detail. As we have said all along, this is trial and trials mean we can make changes if required based on emerging feedback and data.”

As part of the Jesmond East neighbourhood low traffic zone, closures were placed on Manor House Road and its junctions with Osborne Avenue, Shortridge Terrace, Buston Terrace, Cavendish Terrace and at the entrance to Manor House Road Back Lane and the junction of Manor House Road (opposite the back lane of Queens Road and Fern Avenue) which were in place on 6 March. Due to displacement of traffic as people sought to avoid the closures, additional measures were installed on Jesmond Dene Road and Akenside Terrace from 31 March. 

We’ve received lots of emails and questions on the Jesmond East trials, so we’ve produced this frequently asked questions document to help you find further information on this scheme.

Additional measures to reduce traffic cutting through local streets in Jesmond are set to be installed on Friday (31 March), Newcastle City Council has confirmed.

Following feedback from residents and consultation with the emergency services, the council has reviewed the scheme and additional closures will be in place on Jesmond Dene Road and Akenside Terrace, to stop displacement of traffic as part of the Jesmond East neighbourhood low traffic zone. The scheme is being trialled to prevent through traffic using residential streets between Osborne Road and Cradlewell.

Since the scheme was installed in early March, the council has been monitoring the impact of traffic on the surrounding streets. Traffic counts show an increase in traffic using Jesmond Dene Road, Grosvenor Road, Grosvenor Avenue and Akenside Terrace.

To address issues raised, the council will put in further mitigation measures in place using Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders (TTROs). This includes closures on Jesmond Dene Road close to the junction with Grosvenor Road, and on Akenside Terrace close to the junction with Jesmond Road.

A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: “When we develop neighbourhood low traffic zone trials, we also monitor its impact on surrounding streets. Trials mean we can make changes if required, and we have seen a displacement of traffic on surrounding streets as part of the Jesmond East neighbourhood low traffic zone trial.

“The mitigation measures that we are putting in place are designed to restrict through traffic as some drivers may seek to avoid the closures and cut through local streets, rather than stick to more appropriate routes which are designed to carry higher volumes of traffic.

“These mitigation measures have been developed in consultation with the emergency services.”

The additional measures will add to the closures on Manor House Road and its junctions with Osborne Avenue, Shortridge Terrace, Buston Terrace, Cavendish Road and at the entrance to Manor House Road Back Lane and the junction of Manor House Road (opposite the back lane of Queens Road and Fern Avenue), which are part of an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO).

Additional signage will also be placed in the area to provide advance warning of these closures.

A six-month public consultation on the ETRO scheme will run until 10 September, which will be used alongside data collected on whether this scheme should be made permanent.