Jesmond Low Traffic Neighbourhood – Timeline

A Low Traffic Neighbourhood has been installed under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) in East Jesmond on 6th March 2023. The delivered designs filter motor traffic using bollards which have been installed on Osborne Avenue, Shortridge Terrace, Buston Terrace, Manor House Road back lane and Cavendish Road. The installation does not include Grosvenor Road or Grosvenor Avenue at the time of writing; our community-led design from 2020 included those streets, and we still recommend that they are included in order to create a full Low Traffic Neighbourhood.

Our designs are our own work, and are just the ideas of a group of residents about how a Low Traffic Neighbourhood might look in Jesmond, and what the benefits could be. All residents have been able to feed in via Councillors or the Council’s neighbourhoods team. Because we are a group that campaigns for a safe pedestrian and cycling environment – including LTNs – we have kept relevant material and are able to share this timeline about the development of the LTN in East Jesmond.

The actual process of getting to this point has been a long one; over two and a half years. This post sets out that timeline.

Timeline

• 20th May 2020 – UK releases Active Travel Fund to fund walking and cycling, including LTNs.
• 27th July 2020 – UK Government publishes “Gear Change: a bold vision for cycling and walking.” This sets out the Conservative government’s policies including the installation of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. The policy calls for action at “all levels of government” – which means Local Authorities are instructed to comply with it. A Local Transport Note (confusingly, also abbreviated to “LTN”) is also released setting out design standards.
• 31st July 2020 – “Low Traffic Neighbourhoods – have your say: from Cllr Wendy Young” is circulated around Jesmond via the Jesmond Residents Association. This sets out the aim to reduce non-local traffic. Responses are invited and details about LTNs are given via a powerpoint document.
• 1st August 2020 – SPACE for Jesmond campaign group members organise a zoom meeting to consider a response to the publicised call for feedback about Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.
• 5th August 2020 – first SfJ LTN meeting takes place. We use an online tool called Mural to plan out potential filter points (bollards) across Jesmond according to the principles of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. Attendees all either lived in Jesmond or had children attending West Jesmond Primary School. No attendees to any of the meetings held any position with the Council, either as an officer or a Councillor, and there were no commercial interests.
• 12th August 2020 – second SfJ LTN planning meeting
• 25th September 2020 – third SfJ LTN planning meeting
• 15th October 2020 – Our community-led design is sent to Cllr Wendy Young, Transport Portfolio holder Cllr Arlene Ainsley and Head of Transport at Newcastle City Council, Graham Grant.
• 19th October – Cllr Wendy Young confirms receipt of our designs.
• 23rd October 2020 – plan released on SPACE for Jesmond website and distributed to SfJ followers via Twitter.
• 4th November 2020 – North Jesmond Voice features an article on improvements to walking and cycling infrastructure in Jesmond and makes reference to Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.
• Spring 2021 – Newcastle City Council’s “CityLife” magazine explains the rationale behind filtering through-traffic on residential streets, placing motor traffic on main roads and encouraging walking and cycling.
• Winter 2021 – Newcastle City Council’s “CityLife” magazine runs a double page spread on plans for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods across Newcastle.
• 14th January 2022 – Newcastle City Council distribute a leaflet explaining the plans to reduce through traffic in Jesmond including the use of planters and bollards. The leaflet invited responses via phone or email.
• 26th January 2022 – we respond to Newcastle City Council’s neighbourhoods team by re-sending our 2020 designs. We say ” it is vital that a scheme addresses traffic problems across the whole area, as we recommend, so that traffic is not displaced from one residential street onto another.”
• Spring 2022 – Newcastle City Council “CityLife” magazine runs a double page spread on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, asking people not to drive to school, and the clean air zone.
• 12th May 2022 – Tony Waterston arranges a talk at Jesmond Library as part of Jesmond Community Festival to discuss the general concept of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. Both a SPACE for Jesmond member and a council officer are invited to speak, and the officer gives a short presentation on the LTN developed and delivered in Fenham. The talk is publicised by the Library and via the Jesmond Residents Association.
• 15th June 2022 – Liberal Democrat flyer “North Jesmond Focus” is distributed and sets out several options being considered for East Jesmond LTN, including “Option C” which filters out all through-traffic in the area and includes Grosvenor Road and Grosvenor Avenue.
• 20th July 2022 – Cllr Jane Byrne is appointed as cabinet member for “Connected, Clean City.” We write an open letter asking her to push ahead with a low traffic neighbourhood. At this point, it has been 2 years since the announcement of Government funding and the initiation of Low Traffic Neighbourhood planning for Jesmond.
• Winter 2022 – Newcastle City Council “CityLife” magazine runs an article on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and School Streets, including the intention to develop them in High West Jesmond and East Jesmond.
• 7th February 2023 – Pre-consultation launched via Commonplace
• 9th February 2023 – We publish article supporting the measures – but want to see Grosvenor Road included.
• 15th February 2023 – we feed back to Newcastle City Council that there are concerns of increased traffic on Grosvenor Road and Jesmond Dene Road. We suggest including these in the filtering (via bollards).
• 26th February – a number of residents groups (including SPACE for Jesmond) and other residents are invited to a zoom call with Cllr Jane Byrne.
• 6th March 2023 – installation of bollards across Osborne Avenue, Shortridge Terrace, Buston Terrace, Manor House Road back lane and Cavendish Road under ETRO. In line with the ETRO process, full consultation is launched simultaneously.

There has been over two and a half years between the initial request for feedback from Jesmond residents and the installation of the Low Traffic Neighbourhood in East Jesmond. During that period of time we have written a number of letters to councillors and the council themselves, which is in line with our stated aims, available on our homepage.