Newcastle City Council has insisted that a review of low traffic schemes across the city was commissioned before a former external auditor raised concerns about the way it was implemented.
Earlier this year Jesmond became the fourth area of the city to become what the council calls a neighbourhood low traffic zone, with measures to prevent through traffic using a number of residential streets between Osborne Road and Cradlewell.
Osborne Avenue, Jesmond
This council said this is in line with its commitment that drivers can travel to, but not through local streets, ‘greatly reducing the number of vehicles cutting through neighbourhoods’.
Such schemes - also known as low traffic neighbourhoods or LTNs - are often controversial, with many councils coming under public pressure to withdraw them.
According to the Newcastle Chronicle, the city council will conduct an ‘internal review’ into the implementations such schemes throughout the city, after a former external auditing partner raised concerns about the governance and consultation procedures followed in implementing what is known as the ‘Jesmond East’ scheme.
It reported that Jesmond resident David Wilkinson was granted ‘exceptional’ rights to speak to the council’s audit committee last week, where he also claimed that the business community in the area was suffering from the scheme.
According to the publication, he 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.’
Mr Wilkinson also alleged that pre-pandemic traffic figures had been used as a baseline to compare traffic levels on main distributor roads since the neighbourhood low traffic zone was implemented.
A council spokesperson said: ‘Prior to the audit committee meeting a review of local traffic schemes across the city was requested by the cabinet member to provide assurance on implementation.
‘These trials are in place to create safer, cleaner and greener neighbourhoods.’
