The latest set of contentious road closures in Jesmond has been met with confusion, anger and pleas for patience.
Locals awoke on Friday to the sight of new sets of bollards installed overnight in an expansion of the Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) that has become a source of controversy over recent weeks. The new restrictions came into force less than 24 hours after Newcastle City Council had confirmed that it would be blocking traffic from more streets in the area, after complaints that previous closures had intensified rat-running on the residential roads that were initially left open.
Jesmond Dene Road and Akenside Terrace are the latest locations where the measures are in place, in an effort to force vehicles going between Osborne Road and the Cradlewell to stick to the main roads. But for one elderly resident opposed to the closures, seeing more routes blocked off was enough to prompt him to return his council tax bill to the civic centre – with a note attached saying that he refused to pay because of the “total chaos” the bollards had caused.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) as he watched a string of frustrated drivers make U-turns at the bottom of Grosvenor Road, Ralph Pattison said the changes would make it harder for him to visit his family in Heaton. The 81-year-old, of Jesmond Dene Terrace, added: “They are pushing more and more traffic down Jesmond Road and down Osborne Road, which cannot take even half of what they already have. To me, it is bonkers.
“The council has not consulted us on this, they have not given a proper explanation of why this is happening. They talk about quieter streets, but it is making things worse.”
Calling for all of the roads within the LTN to be reopened, his wife Virginia branded the scheme “tyrannical”. The city council has been accused of not giving sufficient notice of the scheme, with a public consultation instead running in its first six months to help decide whether it becomes a permanent fixture or not, and of having left Jesmond “carved in two”.
However, a nearby neighbour from Reid Park Road, who asked not to be named, said the changes had made a “big difference” for cyclists and issued a call for patience. He told the LDRS: “It is a difficult situation. How do you make this lovely area of Jesmond better for the people who live here?
“But there were objections when they closed off Reid Park Road some years ago, yet people have changed their minds over the years. At the moment it is very difficult and I appreciate it is painful, but these things take time.”
The Newcastle Cycling Campaign called the 18-month trial of the LTN an “amazing opportunity to see what our area could be like”. A spokesperson for the group said it would give people in Jesmond “the chance to experience what the suburbs take for granted: quieter, calmer streets and safe walking and cycling”, adding: “We look forward to it becoming a success once people have had time to appreciate the benefits it brings to the the area."
Antonio Sardone, of Italian restaurant Pizzeria Francesca, expressed worries about the new road restrictions causing problems for his delivery drivers and congestion on main roads putting off customers who come from as far as Whitley Bay. The 74-year-old said: “There has not been an impact on our trade so far [since the LTN began], but with Jesmond Dene Road shut it will change things. People are confused, there are cars going around and around to find where they want to go – it is making the pollution worse.”
Moz Murphy, who runs the Grate cheese shop in the Cradlewell, said it was too early to say what the impact would be on her business – but criticised the way the LTN had been put in place. She added: “What the council is trying to achieve in terms of less car usage and making things better for pedestrians and cyclists is admirable. But the way they have done it is really heavy-handed.”
The additions to the LTN were made after traffic counts proved that an initial set of closures, at various points along Manor House Road, had caused an increase in traffic on Jesmond Dene Road, Grosvenor Road, Grosvenor Avenue and Akenside Terrace.
A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: “The closures on Jesmond Dene Road and Akenside Terrace were implemented early Friday morning, as part of mitigation measures for the Jesmond East neighbourhood low traffic zone trial. The scheme is designed to prevent traffic cutting through local streets, rather than more appropriate routes between Osborne Road and Cradlewell. All properties and businesses are still accessible by car.
“Advance warning signage has been placed in and around the area to inform drivers of these changes and we will be monitoring the situation.”
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