A new councillor in Jesmond has called for a rethink of “dumb” road closures that have become a source of major controversy.
Newcastle’s Liberal Democrats celebrated a big gain from Labour in the North Jesmond ward at Thursday’s local elections, with a sizeable majority in what has previously been a tight swing seat credited to the furore over the area’s new Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN). Opponents of the polarising project, which has seen bollards installed on a number of streets to block cars from using them as rat runs between Osborne Road and the Cradlewell, say it has caused “gridlock” in Jesmond and accused Newcastle City Council of not consulting properly with locals before imposing the changes.
Following his election on Thursday, Lib Dem Philip Browne made clear that the city’s opposition party do want Jesmond to be an LTN – but has urged the council to put forward improved options to replace the existing scheme, which he claimed had “split the community in two”. Mr Browne said: “The council were not listening and they can now see what the community in Jesmond wants, loud and clear. The LTN has been a factor, clearly, but I think that is symptomatic of how the council is running the city and that is an issue that needs to be addressed.”
He added: “It is about the process and involving experts to put options to the people in Jesmond… I am not going to be prescriptive with what the options are, that is for people who know how traffic systems work. We want an LTN – but not a dumb LTN.”
Supporters of the road closures have said they have made residential streets safer and cleaner, urging people to exercise patience with what is an 18-month trial project.
At the last two local elections, Labour edged out the Lib Dems in North Jesmond by just 50 and then 40 votes. But this year, with two seats up for grabs following the resignation of Labour’s Stella Postlethwaite, Mr Browne and Lib Dem incumbent Gerry Keating both finished more than 700 votes ahead of the nearest Labour challenger – with a 47.6% turnout that was the second highest in the city.
Yet it was not the same story in neighbouring South Jesmond, where Labour cabinet member Lesley Storey actually increased her majority from what she was first elected on back in 2019. She finished 352 votes ahead of the Liberal Democrats in her ward, though the result was less convincing than Labour victories there in the last two years.
Council leader Nick Kemp, who saw his party finish with a net loss of three seats in Newcastle but retain a strong majority, said: “[North Jesmond] has been a very mixed ward over many years and chopping and changing for many years. I am very disappointed for very strong candidates who put in a very good campaign.
"But if you are looking at the LTN, it has been equally as impactful on South Jesmond and Coun Storey was returned with a significant result there. I am disappointed and saddened for the candidates who put up a very good campaign in North Jesmond and I thank them for their commitment.”
The One Jesmond campaign group said that a “high-handed approach” from Labour had cost the party at the ballot box.
The group, which opposes the LTN in its current form, said: “We are looking for the council to remove the bollards which divide our neighbourhood, respect the needs of residents and local businesses and rethink the scheme. The ill-thought out LTN and consequent emergency road closures, although probably technically compliant with regulations, was imposed following a partial pre-consultation period where the concerns of many residents and businesses appear to have been totally ignored."
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