Local Plan 2040

Illustration of the Quayside showing an aeroplane and flying car over the Tyne Bridge, with a tram and people cycling along the Quayside

Newcastle in 2040?

Newcastle City Council has launched a consultation on the replacement to the current “Local Plan”. You can comment on CommonPlace up to 6 March 2024.

Update November 2024: Newcastle City Council have published the ‘2024 Newcastle Plan Consultation Feedback Report’ for discussion at November 2024 City Council (item 8).

According to the Planning Inspectorate “Local plans are used to decide how much land should be set aside to build new homes, offices, factories, warehouses, shops and other things, usually over the next 10 to 15 years. They also show areas where development should be limited for some reason. The plan includes a map showing these areas and it will include policies that say what types of development are acceptable and what development should be like. The local plan is then used to make decisions on planning applications for individual development proposals.”

You can see Newcastle’s current local plan and timetable for the new plan on the Council’s website.The Council also has a planning policy map showing housing and employment sites, and classification of transport links.

It is often said that the best transport plan is a land use plan. That is because the location of shops, schools and other services compared to where we live dictates how far we need to travel. If the shops and service we use daily are within a fifteen minute walk then there would be less need for people to drive.

This consultation stage is called “Early Engagement” and the Council are asking for opinions on the following questions. In each case you can choose from a list of potential interventions to help the Council prioritise what needs to go in the plan. A further consultation will be held in 2025 on the draft plan once completed,

Consultation Questions

  1. What steps can the Council take to support everyone in Newcastle to have healthier lifestyles and to improve their wellbeing?
  2. How can the Council help address climate change and reduce carbon emissions in Newcastle?
  3. What do you think is needed to improve the city centre and neighbourhood centres, and what would make you visit them more?
  4. Does the city have the right employment sites (areas only used for businesses, factories, and other employers) in Newcastle and what opportunities should be provided for the future?
  5. How can the Council support more people to actively move around Newcastle (by walking and cycling) and improve transport networks, helping to connect everyone better?
  6. Where should the city’s leisure, cultural and tourism facilities be located, and how can the Council improve everyone’s access to the city’s open spaces?
  7. What type of housing do you think Newcastle needs and where should new houses be built?
  8. What is most important and makes Newcastle special for you?
  9. How can the Council improve the natural environment including parks, woodlands, lakes and ponds and what would you like more of?

Please do respond to this consultation

You can comment on CommonPlace up to 6 March 2024.

Enabling more people to walk and cycle more often supports objectives to improve health, cut carbon emissions, and makes it easier for people to access jobs, leisure and the natural environment.

That is particularly important for the 37% of households in Newcastle upon Tyne who do not own a car. If there aren’t good alternatives to using a car and households who don’t currently own a car are forced to buy one then, as well as the personal cost, it will have an enormous impact on parking and traffic volumes. The fewer people who need to drive, the less congested the streets will be for those that do.

Having essential services within a fifteen minute walk or cycle ride is popular with the general public. A YouGov poll from March 2023 shows which services people want most in their local area.

https://twitter.com/YouGov/status/1632696242869268481?s=20

The Council will be looking to create an evidence-base for the plan, so if you are aware of evidence for how walking and cycling can answer any of the consultation questions, please let us know via the comments below so we can include it in our group response.

Meanwhile, here’s one idea for the plan…

https://twitter.com/fietsprofessor/status/1215307347083644929?s=20

You can comment on CommonPlace up to 6 March 2024.

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