New low traffic proposals confirmed for Jesmond

Parts of Jesmond will be the fourth area in the city to become a neighbourhood low traffic zone, where through vehicles will be restricted from using several residential streets and rerouted on to more appropriate streets.

Following feedback from residents and statutory consultation with the emergency services, Newcastle City Council has confirmed that measures to prevent through traffic between Osborne Road and Cradlewell will be installed on March 6.

Closures to traffic will be on Manor House Road and its junctions with Osborne Avenue, Shortridge Terrace, Buston Terrace, Cavendish Road and at the entrance to Manor House Road Back Lane and the junction of Manor House Road (opposite the back lane of Queens Road and Fern Avenue). 

This is in line with the council’s commitment that drivers can travel to, but not through local streets, greatly reducing the number of vehicles cutting through neighbourhoods. This is to create safer, cleaner and greener neighbourhoods. With less traffic cutting through local streets, the area becomes much safer and healthier for the people who live there and encourages more people to walk, wheel or cycle on local journeys.

Cllr Jane Byrne, cabinet member for a connected, clean city, said: “This scheme is designed to reduce the high volumes of through traffic which are using what should be quiet streets. Neighbourhoods should be somewhere you can get to, but not through, which is what the scheme provides.

“Back in January 2022, we asked people living in the area about traffic issues they face which was used to develop this scheme, as well as opportunities for further feedback on the proposals, ahead of the scheme being implemented.

“As with similar schemes, trials mean we can make changes if needed, and people can tell us their views on whether or not these changes should be permanent as part of the public consultation period.”

Using Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs), the council will trial the closures of some streets to through traffic.  Baseline traffic surveys have been undertaken which will help to enable the impact of the trial will be monitored, both in and around the area of the trial.  

The changes will be trialled with temporary measures, as this allows the council to make any changes quickly if required.

Under the ETRO process, this scheme can remain in place for up to 18 months, with public consultation running for the first six months of the scheme being implemented. The consultation will run from 6 March until 10 September 2023, which will be used alongside data collected, to determine whether the changes should be made permanent.

Leaflets that set out the changes have been delivered to residents and businesses in the area and shortly further communications will be issued setting out how people can take part in the formal consultation process.  

People can have their say from the 6 March.

More information is available at www.newcastle.gov.uk/neighbourhoods