Gosforth eFocus No 31 - Easter 2015
Easter greetings to all our readers on this sunny Sunday
RED HOUSE FARM FC PLANS
Councillors from Parklands and Fawdon have had a generally positive and friendly meeting with Club officials, assisted by Council officers. The club has listened to objections and seem to be ready to have meaningful community consultations. They are chewing over options and a further meeting after the Elections is planned.
CYCLE LANES ON GREAT NORTH ROAD
The Regulatory and Appeals Sub Committee held on 16 March to consider objections received in relation to proposed cycle lanes on Great North Road. It concluded that the objection to the proposed traffic regulation order should be set aside and the legal order made as advertised.
The reason for the decision was that:-
(i) The Sub-Committee considered that the proposals would support the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic within the city having regard to the relevant criteria prescribed by section 122 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984;
(ii) The proposal supported the City Council's cycling strategy and would promote safe cycling along this key traffic corridor.
The recommendation of the Sub Committee was subsequently ratified by the Head of Highways and Local Services. Arrangements will now be made for the new arrangements to be brought into effect. Further and better particulars can be provide - email us on david.down@newcastle-libdems.org.uk.
NEW PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS ON GREAT NORTH ROAD
We've received this advice from a Council official. So strange that we're querying it - runs against everything we were ever told...
Pedestrian crossing, Great North Road.
"The crossing is designed as a single stage so the green man for pedestrians goes out whilst still giving someone time to cross completely.
"What I suspect people are doing is stopping midway because the green man has gone out whilst they were crossing. This is normal and they should proceed.
"Once the red man goes on then they have 7 seconds before the traffic gets green.
"The green man must go out to stop people from starting to cross when there is insufficient time to complete the crossing. If it goes out during the crossing then you have ample time to cross."
Following a request from us, the road surface on the Great North Road near to Park Avenue has been inspected and temporary repairs will be made. A full resurface of this area is programmed to take place in early May 2015.
CHURCH ROAD / MOOR ROAD AREA ROAD CLOSURES - POSSIBLY FOR 13 WEEKS
The Council plans weeks of road closures for works taking place on Church Road, Moor Road North and South, Rothwell Road, Alwinton Terrace, Belle Vue Avenue, The Grove and St Nicholas Avenue.
Exact start dates are not known but the legal order will start from 20th April 2015 and will last for 6 months. The hope is that it will take around 13 weeks, with the remainder of the closure as a contingency in the event of unforeseen circumstances. The official orders are going up on lampposts throughout the affected area. If you would like copies of the maps let us know
What concerns us is that all this work is planned BEFORE the official Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) are issued. For example the plan to remove the roundabout at the junction of St Nicholas Ave and Moor Rd North is subject to the TRO. Yet the bulldozers are all set to roll-up.
LANSDOWNE TERRACE CONSTRUCTION?
The right of way across the land at the old Social Services site on Lansdowne Terrace East has been stopped-up. This leaves the way clear for Sunderland house builder Gentoo to build 8 town-houses on the site. Tell us your view
BROADWAY SCHOOLS TRAVEL PLAN
Revised Broadway school scheme drawings should be made available to Councillors for preliminary comment soon.
Following reports that school buses are now being driven through the estate down to Broadway East, council officials are in discussion with Nexus about access to the schools for the bus and with engineers about the Hollywood Avenue junction no longer functioning to allow the buses to make a right turn from the Halls Estate on to the Great North Road. It is proposed that they use Harewood Road exit on to the Great North Road as the best route for leaving the estat, traveling
south then using the Regent Centre to turn around to head north. This will stop them going back through the estate via Strathmore Road.
We await the public outcome of the issues at the next Parklands Ward Committee in June
TRANSPORT PLAN FOR GREAT PARK
Residents and commercial operators on Newcastle Great Park are being leafleted to invite them consultation events on 15th April , from 3 - 7 pm and 18th April from 10 am - 1 pm at the Great Park Community Centre, when the Project Director, the travel plan manager and bus operator will be available to answer questions about the commitment to support and encourage the use of sustainable modes of travel.
PUPIL PREMIUM RESULTS
This from the Gosforth Academy website....over £1/2 m so far, and delivering results.....
Pupil Premium Spend (2012-13) Total Spend - £132,600
Pupil Premium Spend (2013-14) Total Spend - £192,800
Pupil Premium Spend (2014-15) Total Spend - £199,155
Planned Support Spending 2014/15 :
Assertive mentoring programme
Extra Year 11 Intervention Form Groups
Saturday school tuition in Maths
Saturday school tuition in English
KS4 after school revision classes in all subjects
KS4 Breakfast session in Maths, Science and Languages
Easter school tuition in non-core areas
Year 11 small group tuition in Maths
Year 9 small group tuition in English & Science
Specialist Maths Teaching Assistant
Pupil Premium has been used in a variety of ways to improve attainment and help overcome barriers to learning.
59% of Pupil Premium students achieved the equivalent of 5A*-C grades in 2014.
(Editor's note : Pupil Premium was a key Liberal Democrat demand for joining the Coalition in 2010 to deliver its manifesto promise)
PAVEMENT POLITICS
The election campaigns mean that our feet are on the pavements even more than usual. We're identifying and reporting for action issues we're noticing first hand, as well of course as the ones you are raising with us. Examples include : You reported a gas smell on Newlands Road. We reported it to British Gas for investigation. We also asked for all the gullies on the street to be cleaned as most were blocked. We noticed the same thing on Princes Road, Brunton Park (you may have seen the photo of David Down and Robin Ashby examining one on Twitter @parklands_ward !!)
AN APPEAL FROM THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF NORTHUMBRIA
Volunteers urgently needed to plant trees in Gosforth Nature Reserve
New volunteers are urgently needed to help move cut vegetation and plant trees at Gosforth Park Nature Reserve in north Newcastle. No experience is necessary. Help is needed every Wednesday. All volunteer sessions are from 10am-1pm, meet at the reserve entrance. Please wear clothes that you don't mind getting dirty and suitable footwear, also bring with you any drinks or snacks to keep you going. Everyone is welcome, including friends and family, as long as you are able to carry out physical work. You can just turn up entrance to the nature reserve on Salters' Lane but for more information contact Natural History Society of Northumbria on 0191 208 2790or nhsn@ncl.ac.uk
Best wishes James Littlewood, Director, Natural History Society of Northumbria
CYCLING IN THE CITY
Launch event with free bicycle checks, tasters, route planning etc. Heaton Park Sunday 12th April 1pm-3pm www.facebook.com/cyclinginthecitynewcastle
NEW ALDI
Residents will have noticed that contractors for Aldi have started site preparation at Edgefield Avenue. Local Liberal Democrat councillors are in regular touch with their agents and they tell them that they hope to open in the autumn.
GREAT PARK COMMUNITY CENTRE
The Great Park Community Centre has announced that its first ever Easter Craft Fair will be going ahead on Saturday 4th April, 1pm-4pm.
AND FINALLY, IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS
Budget Statement - Motion to Take Note (25 Mar 2015)
Lord Shipley: My Lords, I should like to address three matters: first, the achievements of this Government in dealing with the state of the economy which they inherited in 2010; secondly, rebalancing the economy in terms of growth outside London and the south-east, particularly in the north-east of England; and, thirdly, the current level of debt and the cost of servicing it, the need to get the deficit...
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Gosforth eFocus is brought to you by
David Down, Pauline Allen and Robin Ashby .
Liberal Democrat Councillors for Parklands Ward
Reporting email : david.down@newcastle-libdems.org.uk
Henry Gallagher, Peter Leggott and David Slesenger .
Liberal Democrat Councillors for East Gosforth
Reporting email : henry.gallagher@newcastle-libdems.org.uk
Jackie Slesenger, Bill Shepherd and Nick Cott
Liberal Democrat Councillors for West Gosforth
Reporting email : wgosforth@newcastle-libdems.org.uk
All in the great city of Newcastle upon Tyne
Write to any of them c/o 5 Rudby Close
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Gosforth
Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 5JF
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