A series of road closures in Jesmond will continue, despite the emergence of police concerns.
Opponents of the polarising Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) installed by Newcastle City Council in March renewed calls for it to be scrapped over the weekend, after it was revealed that Northumbria Police had objections against the scheme. Correspondence uncovered via a freedom of information (FOI) request from a local resident confirmed that the force warned the measures would be “likely to adversely impact our ability to provide effective policing” as it would take officers longer to get to crime scenes.
However, the council and police issued a joint statement on Monday to confirm that the LTN, which has been launched on an 18-month trial basis, would not be revoked. The road closures have prevented drivers from using residential roads to cut between Osborne Road and the Cradlewell, in order to make those streets safer and less polluted for pedestrians, cyclists and children.
