Newcastle City Council will conduct an "internal review" into the implementations of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) throughout the city.
The review comes after the former external auditing partner for the council raised concerns about the governance and consultation procedures followed by the authority in implementing an LTN in Jesmond. The Jesmond scheme, which stops motorists cutting through Osborne Road and Cradlewell generated fury among some residents when it was enforced earlier this year.
Further traffic restricting measures were also introduced on Jesmond Dene Road and Akenside Terrace. The scheme prompted a petition, amassing over 4,000 signatures, opposing the move.
Read More: Jesmond Low Traffic Neighbourhood to stay despite revelation of police concerns over road closures
David Wilkinson, of Jesmond, was granted "exceptional" rights to speak to the authority's audit committee on Friday to voice his concerns. Mr Wilkinson had previously worked as a council auditor.
In his speech to the committee, Mr Wilkinson claimed that the council had not followed appropriate procedures when implementing the traffic scheme. He also claimed that the business community in Jesmond were suffering as a result.
Mr Wilkinson said: "The Secretary of State for Transport sets out statutory guidance on network management and lays out the standards for consultation to provide a genuine picture of local opinion, rather than listen to the loudest voices. I can’t see how this statutory guidance has been applied at all. I, therefore, question how good governance was applied to the consultation process at the outset."
Mr Wilkinson continued: "50 Jesmond businesses which have recently completed a business survey, all say they weren’t consulted. Indeed, it's notable that there is very little comment at all in the interim report about businesses and the significant adverse impact on them.
"Unsurprisingly, 98% in that survey are against this scheme as indeed are more than 4,000 people who have signed a petition to that effect."
Mr Wilkinson went on to claim the data used by the council to justify the LTN scheme in Jesmond was flawed, as it was taken from 2019, and did not take into consideration a fall in traffic as more people work from home. The former auditor also questioned how the council measures on-road emissions.
Council officers present said an internal review will be commissioned to examine how procedures were met across all of Newcastle's LTN schemes. Council staff also said they will "be endeavouring to complete the work as quickly as possible".
After the meeting, a spokesperson for Newcastle City Council said: “As stated at the meeting we are scoping an internal review into the implementation of local traffic schemes across the city.
“In the meantime, there is a public consultation open into the Jesmond East neighbourhood low traffic zone trial.” The council also stated that pre-trial consultations also took place for the Jesmond scheme.
