Top council bosses have faced a grilling over controversial road closures that have “divided” a Newcastle community.
Measures to try and stop rat-running through a number of streets in Jesmond have sparked fierce debate since being imposed earlier this month. Critics have claimed that a new Low Traffic Neighbourhood has caused congestion chaos on surrounding roads – something Newcastle City Council confirmed has already prompted a review of the scheme's design.
Through traffic has been blocked from a series of streets between Osborne Avenue and Cavendish Road, in an effort to prevent drivers cutting down residential streets to get between the main routes of the Coast Road and Osborne Road. On Friday morning, the council’s chief executive and another senior officer were interrogated over the contentious changes – facing accusations that they had been skewed in favour of the wealthy and risked putting the local authority “at war” with locals.
